NBC Sports Edge Betcast: PointsBet And PGA Golf Betting Show

NBC Sports PGA TOUR PointsBet

A first of its kind betting companion show will broadcast as a live second-screen experience during a PGA Tour event. The live golf betting show is the culmination of a joint venture between the sportsbook PointsBet, NBC Sports, and the PGA Tour.

PointsBet is the official sports betting partner of NBC Sports and an official betting operator of the golf tour.

NBC Sports Edge BetCast will air on Peacock Premium, side by side with NBC Sports’ telecasts of the Waste Management Phoenix Open on GOLF Channel and NBC from February 4th through February 7th, at TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course.

Unique Betting Show

David Preschlack, President of NBC Sports Regional Networks and Executive VP of Content Strategy of the NBC Sports Group, praised the endeavor in a press release:

“We are excited to debut this unique betting show with our partners at the PGA TOUR and PointsBet. With TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course as the backdrop, we look forward to a compelling sports betting presentation on Peacock Premium as a companion to watching the world’s best golfers competing on some of the most iconic holes on the PGA TOUR.”

Expansion of PGA’s Sports Betting Strategy

Norb Gambuzza, the Senior Vice President of Media and Gaming for the PGA Tour, said the NBC Sports Edge BetCast stream on Peacock Premium is “another step forward” for the league’s sports betting strategy.

“As we continue to embrace sports betting, the TOUR will continue to innovate and find new ways to engage fans around the world,” he said.

PointsBet’s Johnny Aitken noted in the press release that “golf is ripe for sports betting innovation.”

PGA’s Commitment to Responsible Betting

In October 2019, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said in an interview that the PGA Tour planned to begin taking wagers on-site at golf tournaments starting in 2020. 

Two years prior, the PGA reached an agreement with Genius Sports to improve its Integrity Program and monitor suspicious betting patterns.

The PGA Tour has cited its commitment to responsible sports betting going back as far as the days after the Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018.

In January this year, the PGA announced a partnership with the American Gaming Association. The objective of the partnership is to educate golf fans on the importance of responsible betting.

NASCAR and the National Hockey League have already agreed to participate in the AGA’s “Have a Game Plan, Bet Responsibly” initiative.

What the Golf Betting Show Will Incorporate

  • 2.5 hours in each of the four tournament rounds, for a total of 10 afternoon hours.
  • Following a dedicated BetCast-exclusive featured group through the round each day.
  • Highlights of exciting tour moments, memorable shots and interesting storylines.
  • A live studio set overlooking the 16th hole.
  • A PointsBet Sportsbook oddsmaker at a trading desk, providing exclusive information and betting odds.

PGA Tour Phoenix Open Event to Allow Fans

Over the course of a typical tournament week, the Waste Management Phoenix Open welcomes over half a million fans. But things will be dramatically different this year. The group that organizes the PGA Tour segment, the Thunderbirds, announced last week that it would be allowing up to 5,000 spectators every day – a far cry from what has become the highest-attended tournament on the PGA Tour.  That number was already reduced from the previously-agreed 8,000 spectators after COVID-19 numbers went up dramatically in Arizona.

Fans will need to wear masks throughout the tournament grounds, and there will be thermal screening at the entry.

“The expansive, 192-acre, open-aired layout of TPC Scottsdale is conducive to social distancing, and combined with stringent COVID safety protocols in place, The Thunderbirds are confident we can conduct a safe and responsible tournament in February,” said tournament director Scott Jenkins.

2020 was a challenging year for the PGA Tour, with events only resuming in June. Very few of them sold tickets to fans. However, the Tour has maintained a successful track record of health and safety, including at events where tickets were sold to the public.

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