A new frontier is on the horizon for VSiN. The radio network focused on sports betting is about to get a shot in the arm when it comes to terrestrial reach. In November, it struck a deal with Gow Media’s SportsMap Radio. All of the content from SportsGrid that SportsMap carries will be replaced with VSiN shows beginning January 9.
Brian Musburger and his team had been making progress in getting VSiN content on to terrestrial stations. They had already announced deals to get VSiN on Dallas, Seattle, Pittsburgh, and Denver among other large markets. But the chance to partner with SportsMap Radio gave VSiN some advantages it wouldn’t have on its own.
“For years, Gow has built relationships with some very key strategic stations throughout the country,” Musburger, VSiN’s founder and CEO, told me. “And to be able to do this in a single deal, it just made sense from just a resources standpoint. But more than that, it’s the stations that they worked with that were very desirable to us.”
With the deal, VSiN passes the 300 affiliates mark. That means the expectations and competition is different now.
Musburger thinks that market managers will have a lot to think about when it comes to their network affiliation. Sure, the traditional sports talk radio networks have worked gambling into their content. Plenty of their hosts put money on games and know what the numbers mean, but can they present it in a relevant way to people that want to place bets of their own?
If gambling is legal in a state, that means plenty of sports talk listeners are gambling. Brian Musburger says that the content those listeners crave is not as easy to come by as it may seem.
“Look, just because someone quoted a point spread, I’m not ready to say that they’re talking about sports betting. They’re referring to sports betting. So they’re not they’re not giving you the kind of information that VSiN can provide. I still don’t think it’s a very crowded field when it comes to anything more than superficial betting talk. If you are truly putting money at risk, you want to listen to smart people in the space and we’ve really put together a terrific team of experts.”
So what would he say to GMs of stations in places where gambling isn’t yet legal? What value does VSiN have to them?
“We can’t have our head in the sand say that just because it isn’t legal in the state doesn’t mean that people aren’t participating and curious about it,” he said. “I also think it’s a different way of talking about sports, and I think that people, even people that aren’t betting on sports, like the authenticity of the conversation that we’re facilitating. It’s a refreshing departure from the combative hot take radio of the past.”
Don’t make the mistake of thinking VSiN is full of septuagenarians talking in insider-y Vegas slang, refusing to ever step outside of the old school. Sports betting has evolved and so has sports betting content.
Just like apps allow bettors to make their wagers from anywhere, the brand’s offerings are diverse. Similar to ESPN, FOX Sports and its other competitors with a more traditional sports background, VSiN is focused on meeting its audience where they are. Listeners can stream VSiN content as audio or video. There are exclusive podcasts. Gamblers can sign up for a variety of VSiN newsletters.
Consumers can access information however and whenever they want it. Success for a media brand in the 21st century is all about delivering options. But Brian Musburger doesn’t rule out the need for some of those options to be old school.
There is still value in those old betting guides published at the start of each football or basketball season. Even though they are no longer bound and on magazine racks, VSiN still puts them together for people to buy and download.
There’s still value in terrestrial radio too. That is why Musburger and his team pursued the deal with Gow Media. With sports bettors needing information in real time, there is plenty of upside to audio that isn’t on demand.
“Terrestrial radio still reaches a lot of people, Musburger said. “I, as a longtime fan of the platform, hate to see people dismiss terrestrial radio. It’s a platform that still informs a lot of people, especially when it comes to sports and sports talk.”
We take for granted the ubiquity of streaming services, podcast apps and satellite radio. The FM dial is still what reaches most people in their cars. If VSiN is trying to meet their listeners where they are, then the deal with SportsMap Radio doesn’t need much more explanation.
Demetri Ravanos is a columnist and features writer for Barrett Media. He is also the creator of The Sports Podcast Festival, and a previous host on the Chewing Clock and Media Noise podcasts. He occasionally fills in on stations across the Carolinas in addition to hosting Panthers and College Football podcasts. His radio resume includes stops at WAVH and WZEW in Mobile, AL, WBPT in Birmingham, AL and WBBB, WPTK and WDNC in Raleigh, NC.
You can find him on Twitter @DemetriRavanos or reach him by email at DemetriTheGreek@gmail.com.
