Every sports fan in the United States is familiar with the voice of veteran Sports Radio Host Mike Francesa. Many professionals of his age already hanged their boots, but not this thriving radio host –in fact, his involvement in sports has just received a shot in the arm. The veteran radio host is back on the sports scene as the brand ambassador of BetRivers.
This new role will mark the end of his latest slumber that did not even last a wink. According to the press release that revealed this new development, Francesa will be working on content for BetRivers and the sister brand, PlaySugarHouse. The agreement stipulates that the retired/unretired sports host should produce two podcasts per week as well as digital video content for the two brands. As a seasoned broadcaster in the sports arena, this job description will benefit him as much as his fans.
In addition to producing sports-related content, Francesa will also be required to appear on sporting events organized by the two companies. Such events will be the set on which this newest brand ambassador in town is going to create live on location videos for the betting fans of New York. BetRivers fans that hold player accounts on the platform will have access to Francesa’s content via the sportsbook platform.
Speaking after the news of his appointment had been shared with the public, Francesa revealed that his plan as BetRiver’s brand ambassador will be to offer valuable advice to sports betting fans in New York. This is exciting news for gambling enthusiasts as well as those who had been looking for expert support before they ventured into the activity.
In his tenure as a radio host, Francesa was known for co-hosting the Mad Dog which was a popular show on WFAN. His exemplary performance on radio earned him a spot among the legends because he is now a member of the Radio Hall of Fame. The radio audience of New York has spent more than 30 years listening to the voice of the now BetRivers brand ambassador. Owing to his long stint on radio, his talent has managed to bag him the “Major Market Personality of the Year” award, sponsored by Marconi multiple times.
The CEO of BetRivers’ parent company Rush Street Interactive, Richard Schwartz, has expressed his company’s excitement at having Francesa on their side. According to the management of BetRivers, having the ‘King of New York’ working in the same team to offer lasting experiences for their customers is quite thrilling. Interestingly, BetRivers has a community of brand ambassadors which Francesa will now be joining. Being a sports icon, the former host of radio sports is expected to bring in a new energy to the betting brand operations.
Gambling fans everywhere are known to listen to personalities who express passion and knowledge in the sports they are looking forward to betting on. By bringing in a new voice to betting analysis and game outcomes predictions based on his multiple decades in sports broadcasting, the management of betRivers is optimistic that this will translate to high registration of new players on their platform.
This is a rather thoughtful move by the betting provider because it means that they are offering their players an opportunity to engage with sports experts at an individual level. Through the various activities that Mike Francesa will be involved in as a representative of the gambling company, players will get a confidence boost in betting matters.
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Celebrities finding a home in NY sports betting
In an effort to expand the drag net with which to catch and hook new players, betting operators in New Jersey and New York are capitalizing on giving value to the prospects. The first channel that operators are using to build a name for their businesses is mass media. There appears to be a fever pitch with regards to the expansion of media that focuses solely on sports betting.
In addition to news items related to odds, there has also been a lot of publicity around advertisements that promote partnerships between sports teams and sportsbook brands. In New York particularly, the period between January 8 and today has been one of laying the groundwork for a new economic wave that includes gambling.
Gambling regulations in New York are presently barely 4 months old but the efforts at boosting the industry are clear for everyone to see. So far, the public has been treated to multiple betting-focused alternate broadcasts of Knicks’ games by MSG+. A similar initiative has been displayed by PointsBet who have expressed an interest in setting up betting-focused broadcasts for Mets’ games on SNY. The Yankees also find the idea to be appealing and are working on a similar arrangement with the YES Network.
Apart from Francesa that has just joined the sports betting scene as a brand ambassador, there are others who are from more or less a similar background as him. WFAN listeners must be familiar with Craig Carton; a radio host who served a prison sentence for fraud. Carton was implicated in a multi-million fraud scheme which he was later convicted for. He now works for FanDuel in New Jersey as the brand’s first national responsible gaming ambassador.
Another personality worth mentioning is Henrik Lundqvist who is known by many of his fans as the Ranger great. Lundqvist is an analyst with MSG, a role that he juggles with being a brand ambassador for Caesars.
Conclusion
For sports fans who marvel at the voice of veteran radio host Francesa, it appears that they will be listening to him for a long time following the deal with BetRivers as brand ambassador. For many of those who are wondering if he is supposed to be retired at his age, his new appointment as BetRivers brand ambassador only goes to show that top talent never retires.
