ESPN to Up Sports Betting Content with New Studio at Caesars’ LINQ

ESPN and Caesars Entertainment, Inc. on Monday debuted ESPN’s new studio at Caesars’ LINQ Hotel + Experience property in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip.

The new studio was inaugurated with produced segments for SportsCenter and digital platform. ESPN will gradually expand the amount of content produced from its new Las Vegas studio, promising that it would be covering “more robust, Vegas-exclusive sports betting and entertainment news.”

The major sports media outlet also announced that it would move its Daily Wager show to the new LINQ studio from September 8 and would launch a digital sports betting-themed show this fall.

ESPN and Caesars first announced their wide-ranging sports betting content deal in the spring of 2019. In addition to the development of the LINQ studio, the partnership also saw Caesars become the official supplier of odds data across ESPN’s television and digital programming.

The new facility occupies 6,000 square feet of space at the LINQ. It includes three studios and features 12 cameras, including two exterior robotic ones. The new studio will be using ESPN’s REMI production workflow with a total of 24 transmit and receive paths to ESPN control rooms around the country.

The LINQ studio is ESPN’s first to have been built in a manner that enables it to fully support native 4K. It was launched on Monday in 1080p.

Studio to Serve as the Epicenter of ESPN’s Wagering-Themed Content

ESPN said that its new studio at the LINQ would be the epicenter of its sports wagering-themed content for its linear, digital, and social media shows. It will also have an important role during major sports events, including marquee Las Vegas events.

As mentioned earlier, ESPN’s sports betting news show Daily Wager will be moved permanently to Las Vegas and the new LINQ studio. After its hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it is set to return to ESPN2 on September 8 and will air at 6 am on weekdays.

ESPN is also gearing up preparations for a new digital sports betting-themed show. New episodes will be released three days a week and will be available on the ESPN app, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. That show will, too, originate from the new LINQ studio.

Commenting on the launch of their new studio, ESPN VP of Business Development Mike Morrison said that they are now “committing to a bigger presence both in Las Vegas and with our content across platforms to authentically serve a fast-growing, highly engaged audience.”

Chris Holdren, Co-President of Caesars Sports, added that the launch of the all-new ESPN studio at their LINQ property is a testament to Las Vegas’ “position as the sports betting capitol of the world and its transformation into a sports city.”

Mr. Holdren went on to say that “with the marquee location of the studio right at the heart of the Strip”, they are excited to see “the unique programming that could only be produced here in Las Vegas.”

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