Caesars Sportsbook made history Sunday night when it streamed the game between the Dallas Cowboys and Indianapolis Colts, becoming the first American sportsbook app to provide customers with a live “Watch & Bet” video stream.
The stream was made possible thanks to a new deal between the NFL and Genius Sports Limited, the exclusive distributor of NFL data and live streams to sportsbooks. In a release Monday, Genius said the deal will include select regular season and postseason games each week.
MAJOR NEWS EMPERORS 🗣️
You can now watch LIVE high-speed streams of select NFL games while betting inside the Caesars Sportsbook App! pic.twitter.com/OPOZMyJzX1
— Caesars Sportsbook (@CaesarsSports) December 5, 2022
“The addition of live Watch & Bet video streaming brings the best that the NFL has to offer right into the Caesars Sportsbook app,” president of Caesars Digital Eric Hession said. “Delivering innovative technology like this remains a key emphasis for us, so being the first U.S. sportsbook to provide customers with in-app NFL live streaming isn’t something we take lightly.”
Even before streams were available in sportsbook apps, in-game betting was a temptation that existed for bettors looking for quick resolutions. Watch & Bet removes a bit of the buffer that exists between the television and phone, potentially increasing the frequency of live betting.
It also potentially opens the door for more apps to follow.