Just before the holidays started, Audacy announced that its BetQL Network show You Better You Bet would begin streaming the following week on the NBC Sports FAST channel, which was recently renamed to NBC Sports Now. Through a content partnership with NBC Sports, the live show and podcast featuring co-hosts Nick Kostos and Femi Abebefe is now available on weekdays from 6 to 7 p.m. ET through Peacock and all major FAST channel distributors.
In an internal memo to staff the day it was announced, Mitch Rosen, Vice President of The Score in Chicago and BetQL Network referred to the deal as a “groundbreaking partnership for us in terms of video distribution.”
Kostos, who has been covering the world of sports gambling for more than a decade and has been hosting ‘You Better You Bet’ since 2019, said, “My goal has always been to turn You Better You Bet into a hybrid television show and kind of serve all masters, that’s always been my end game for the show. And the NBC deal is just a validation of everything that I’ve been working for, and the team has been working for. Everything we’ve collectively been working for this entire time, to be with a legacy brand like NBC on NBC Sports Now is awesome.
“It’s really tremendous and just goes to show that we’ve done great, but the work is not done. The work is definitely not done, but it is an absolute milestone in the growth of You Better You Bet and one that we hope continues to spur us to bigger and better things.”
Co-host Femi Abebefe, who joined the show in August coming over from VSiN, added, “It’s an absolute honor and a game changer for our show to be a part of a legacy network like NBC and Peacock. This show and its audience have grown a lot over the last five years, and we can’t wait to introduce it to a new audience as a part of the NBC Sports Now lineup.”
Rosen said this show being chosen to air on NBC Sports Now is the result of a team effort from the beginning. “To be aligned with NBC Sports Now and BetMGM is ultimately the payoff of everything Nick and our entire You Better You Bet team has accomplished since we launched. Nick is truly one of the premiere personalities in the sports wagering space and now to partner with the iconic brand of NBC is just phenomenal. The effort, planning, and content produced on a daily basis demonstrates how popular the show is, and the recent addition of Femi and Executive Producer Bill Zimmerman really has taken the show to the very top of the mountain.”
Zimmerman had previously spent several years with Mad Dog Sports Radio and before Kostos became a talent, he was a producer there. “In my opinion, Bill Zimmerman is one of if not the best executive producers in sports radio. And our new co-host, Femi Abebefe, is tremendously talented, charismatic and very intelligent when it comes to sports betting.”
Kostos said with NBC Sports Now airing the 6 p.m hour, the group was presented with a new challenge as well, but it is one they’ve been excited to figure out. The challenge becomes programming the hour both for those who may have been listening previously and for those who might only hear that hour.
“Six o’clock becomes almost a new start to the show instead of just the final hour of the show,” he said. “It’s almost the second beginning of the show and we needed to adjust things a little bit. And then the 6:40 p.m. segment becomes our ‘Bets for the Night’ featuring NBC Sports betting analysts.
“I love having a puzzle in front of me as it concerns content and the challenge of putting that puzzle together in a way that makes sense. I am a big believer of everything needs to have a purpose in the show. Given the way that the show now functions, putting that together is exceptionally rewarding and is one of the most fun parts of my job. So, yes, it’s a challenge, but it’s not something that comes without a tremendous sense of satisfaction when it’s done, when the show is over and when we nailed it.”
Kostos is very aware of the fact that the show came from audio before video, but believes it works for all ways of consumption. “The primary function of the show is to exist on audio. Now, we have added video partners as the years have gone on, we’re on YouTube, we are on Twitch, Stadium has been an awesome partner for us. And now, obviously, we add NBC to our portfolio.
“I really want to serve all masters. I want to put on a great show for the live audience. I want to put on a great show for people that are consuming it visually. I want to put on a great show for people that are consuming it on the radio and are consuming it in terms of audio. And I want people to be able to still be able to consume it that night after the show goes off the air or the day after. I think that’s the secret sauce, like the special thing that we are trying to accomplish on the show every day.”
Kostos said not only are they aware of the various ways people consume the show, but they are also very aware they have people listening with all different levels of knowledge on wagering, from novice to the advanced. He believes how they have handled that has been one of the things which has propelled the show to new heights, the ability to entertain and inform with just the right balance.
“The biggest compliment that I receive is when someone who doesn’t wager says they love the show, my radio hits during the week, my Sunday morning show on WFAN, my BetMGM videos or my Westwood One reports. That means I and we are doing our job properly, when even someone who doesn’t wager finds value in the content. I would urge anyone to consume You Better You Bet and tell me it’s not a show that could exist on a mainstream outlet for an audience that is not necessarily predisposed towards sports wagering. That is always something we consider when putting the show together.
“And now that we are on NBC, in addition to the other outlets that carry us, whether it’s Stadium, Sirius XM, Westwood One, YouTube, Twitch, we’re on a billion radio stations nationwide every single day under the Audacy umbrella and otherwise. My job now on a daily basis every single day is to continue fine tuning this product. The show needs to be better every single day. So, the stakes have raised now, I get to bet on myself now. The bet is on me to make sure the show is good.”
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
Dave Greene is the Chief Media Officer for Barrett Media. His background includes over 25 years in media and content creation. A former sports talk host and play-by-play broadcaster, Dave transitioned to station and sales management, co-founded and created a monthly sports publication and led an ownership group as the operating partner. He has managed stations and sales teams for Townsquare Media, Cumulus Media and Audacy. Upon leaving broadcast media he co-founded Podcast Heat, a sports and entertainment podcasting network specializing in pro wrestling nostalgia. To interact, find him on Twitter @mr_podcasting. You can also reach him by email at Dave@BarrettMedia.com.
