Nexstar Media, Inc., and SportsGrid, Inc., on Wednesday announced a multi-year agreement to launch “SportsGrid Network,” which they said will be a diginet devoted to sports wagering and fantasy sports.
Nexstar Media is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nexstar Media Group, Inc., which bills itself as the largest local media company in the United States. SportsGrid is a streaming video network that provides coverage of sports betting for all major sports.
Beginning September 1, “SportsGrid Network” will be distributed across nine digital subchannels licensed to Nexstar in these US markets: San Francisco, Washington, DC, Tampa, Portland, Nashville, Norfolk, Grand Rapids, Knoxville and Des Moines.
The two companies said the new network will be the nation’s first and only 24-hour sports wagering and fantasy sports program service.
SportsGrid’s content currently is distributed across over-the-air broadcast and cable television, connected smart TVs, a variety of streaming platforms, mobile devices and on the internet. The new network will be available on recently vacated digital sub-channels licensed to Nexstar.
At its launch, SportsGrid Network will feature 18 hours of exclusive live original programming hosted by a team of on-air personalities, sports and gambling experts, and guest contributors, as well as a variety of pre-produced programming and encore presentations of the network’s most popular shows.
The two parties said the network’s mission will be to provide real-time sports news, data, analytics, and statistics to engage sports audiences whenever and wherever they choose.
SportsGrid’s reporting and analytic platform is expected to include daily odds, lines, matchups, injury reports, statistics, news and more across the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, college sports, golf, tennis, and soccer.
SportsGrid’s live programming will originate from television production facilities adjacent to Madison Square Garden in New York City and at the SG Studios & Production Hub in New Jersey.
“Nexstar’s national reach across 199 owned or operated television stations in 116 markets throughout the US is a great platform for distributing our content to fantasy sports fans and gamblers everywhere,” Louis Maione, founder and president of SportsGrid, said in a statement. “This initial nine-station launch of SportsGrid content will inform and entertain millions of sports fans across all screens and devices and provide them with expert reporting, commentary and analysis using our exclusive proprietary SportsGrid analytics platform. This agreement provides both companies the opportunity to share content and to strategically expand the network to additional Nexstar markets.”
Sean Compton, president of Nexstar Media Inc.’s Networks Division, added, “Our nation is sports obsessed and we are delighted to deliver SportsGrid’s programming to address the rapidly growing interest in sports betting and fantasy sports. Distributing SportsGrid’s programming across digital subchannels in nine of our markets will enable us to connect with new audiences and continue expanding a new and fast growing revenue stream. As a provider of content to fans of sports wagering and fantasy sports, SportsGrid is the perfect partner for this effort.”
