Underdog agrees to multi-year contract extensions with Gil’s Arena cast

The operator originally launched the online basketball show with Arenas during 2023, with hopes to surpass other leading sports talk shows in due time.
Key Points
- Arenas has also become prominent in Underdog’s products, including sharing his betting picks throughout the operator’s platforms
- Gil’s Arena is co-hosted by Arenas, a former NBA All-Star, as well as Executive Producer Josiah Johnson
Underdog Fantasy has agreed to multi-year contract extensions with the entire cast of its online basketball show Gil’s Arena, co-hosted by former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas and Executive Producer Josiah Johnson. The extensions were reached in hopes of Gil’s Arena surpassing other leading talk shows, such as ESPN’s First Take, in due time.
“Underdog built us a platform and more importantly created a real partnership to share our unfiltered takes with fans. We’re building a one-of-a-kind basketball network here, and this is just the beginning – we have big plans for the future,” Arenas said.
Arenas and Underdog originally launched Gil’s Arena during 2023, as the operator’s VP of Content Tim Livingston was one of the first to help progress the sports media space.
“We teamed up with Gil to build a wholly authentic show for the basketball community,” Livingston said.
“The success is a testament to the hard work of Gilbert, Josiah and the entire cast and crew. We’re grateful for the last two years, and excited for the next ten.”
Good to know: Underdog announced on August 28 that the company will be making a second investment into its GuardDog fund to help provide funding for the Game Safety Institute
Arenas has also become a fixture in Underdog’s products, such as sharing his betting picks with users across the operator’s platforms.
“This partnership is at the center of our media network expansion and proof of concept for our belief in bringing fans unvarnished and incredibly deep sports content,” Underdog CMO Liz Marro said.
“Working with Gil and his team has been incredible, and we are going to continue to elevate our sports content and build the best sports entertainment experience for our customers.”
Livingston helped to grow the sports media industry by introducing one of the first athlete-centered podcasts, No Chill, during 2018.
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