Sports media leaders know that betting boosts fan interest. Yet, adding odds to sports coverage needs careful planning. This way, the content enhances the story instead of taking away from it.
The opportunity to deliver fan engagement through odds is large. At the start of the decade, the U.S. sports betting market was new. About nine out of ten avid bettors watched sports regularly. This was more than double the rate of non-bettors.
Platforms like 22Bet make sportsbooks easy to access. This has boosted interest even more. Almost a third of millennial bettors say they feel a bond with a team after betting on them. This shows that betting and fandom are closely linked now.
Publishers, media companies, and broadcasters are now adding more betting content to what they produce. Odds, shared via audio, video, or articles, are key for engagement. But depending on the medium, you should present them carefully. This way, they enhance the story instead of overshadowing it.
Broadcast
Nearly three-quarters of US sports bettors watch live games they’ve bet on. Plus, over half of all sports wagers happen during contests. So, adding real-time odds to live broadcasts makes perfect sense.
Integrating odds can also provide an engaging context for fans who do not wager on the action. For example, the odds of the Oklahoma City Thunder coming back against the Memphis Grizzlies were interesting. They were down by 26 points at halftime in game three of their playoff series last month. This comeback created an exciting story for fans to follow.
In the US major leagues, there are many chances to show odds during game coverage. This is due to regular breaks and pauses in baseball, football, basketball, and hockey. NFL games usually have 11 minutes of actual play. This shows a chance to fill breaks with interesting odds and betting content.
Editorial
For sports news websites, using content with odds can increase user visits by 20% to 40%.
Using live odds-driven API feeds on a webpage can improve how long visitors stay. It provides the latest game updates. Game previews are a great way for odds to share the popular storytelling elements.
Social Media
About one-third of sports fans use social media while watching. More than 90 percent of younger fans do the same to enjoy sports content.
Social media gives us plenty of chances to engage with pre- and in-game odds.
Many sports stars now have more followers on social media than their teams do. So, offering player prop bets will grab attention. This trend reflects the growing popularity of these types of bets.
You can bet on things like New York Yankees star Aaron Judge hitting two home runs in a game. There are also obscure bets on individual players.
Odds Best Practice
The quality of sports betting odds is crucial, no matter the media channel they are in.
We are the official odds partner for top sports leagues like the NBA, MLB, and NHL. We use exclusive, fast, and high-quality data to provide odds to our partners in the media.
Our expert team uses advanced math models to optimize odds. This way, fans can enjoy compelling action as they cheer for their teams.