For the owners of the FanDuel TV network, see FanDuel. For the FanDuel-branded regional sports networks owned by Diamond Sports Group, see FanDuel Sports Network.
The network was originally established as TVG, which primarily focused on horse racing. In 2008, the network was sold to Betfair. It acquired its main competitor, HRTV, in 2015; the network was renamed TVG2 in October of that year. In 2018, the channel began to add studio programs devoted to mainstream sports from the perspective of sports betting. In 2022, the network was relaunched as FanDuel TV, which expands upon this programming strategy and began forays into live sports coverage outside of horse racing. The TVG brand continues to be used for the network's wagering platform.
In May 2006, TVG introduced several new programs to its schedule, including Morning Line, Fandicapping, :58 Flat, Lady Luck, and Drive Time.
The channel formerly operated a fictional betting site, TVGfree.net, which allowed it to have a presence in the fifteen states that prohibit televised and off-track betting, operating similarly to poker sites that use the .net domain to differentiate their fictional betting sites from the .com sites that allow gambling. The site was discontinued at the start of 2012 due to a site upgrade and currently redirects to TVG.com.
At the end of February 2007, TVG ended its longtime affiliation with Churchill Downs Incorporated. On May 2, 2008, Gemstar-TV Guide was acquired by Macrovision (now TiVo Corporation) for $2.8 billion.
Macrovision, which purchased Gemstar-TV Guide to boost the value of VCR Plus+ and electronic program guide patents, later stated that it was considering a sale of TVG, TV Guide Network, and the TV Guide print edition's namesake to other parties.
At the end of 2008, Macrovision sold TVG to British bookmakerBetfair for $50 million. The deal was completed on January 27, 2009, separating the channel from the company, which acquired its founding owner in 2007.[3] In February 2015, Betfair acquired TVG's sole competitor, HRTV, and began to consolidate it into TVG's facilities. The network was rebranded as a sister network, TVG2, in October 2015.[4][5][6]
In July 2018, the network announced that it was developing studio programs dedicated to sports betting. The U.S. Supreme Court recently struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, making it legal for states outside of Delaware, Oregon, Montana, and Nevada to allow sports betting. Paddy Power Betfair had also recently acquired the daily fantasy sports service FanDuel with the intent to use it as its main U.S. subsidiary. On September 9, 2018, coinciding with the 2018 NFL season, TVG Network premiered the new Sunday morning programs The Barstool Sports Advisors and More Ways to Win.[7][8]
The network saw an increase in prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the shutdown of nearly all other live sports prompted increased interest in horse racing and off-track betting at tracks that remain active. The limited tracks available resulted in greater prominence given to smaller tracks and meets such as Nebraska's Fonner Park and Oklahoma's Will Rogers Downs, and the network's personalities made efforts to accommodate new viewers and explain the technical terminology associated with horse racing and wagers. TVG also reached an agreement with the mainstream sports channel NBCSN to simulcast a block of Trackside Live on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday afternoons.[9]
FanDuel TV (2022–present)
In July 2022, it was reported that FanDuel was considering a relaunch of TVG Network as FanDuel TV as early as September 2022, building upon More Ways to Win by adding a morning block of sports talk shows as well as sports news segments interspersed throughout its live racing block. Such a service would compete primarily against VSiN, which was recently acquired by FanDuel's main U.S. competitor, DraftKings.[10][11][12]
FanDuel officially announced the planned relaunch on August 25, 2022.[13] With the rebranding, the network launched two new weekday studio shows; Up & Adams—a morning show hosted by former NFL Network anchor Kay Adams, and Run it Back—an NBA-focused program hosted by Michelle Beadle, Shams Charania, Chandler Parsons, and Lou Williams—which airs on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesdays.[14][15] FanDuel announced plans for shows developed by Pat McAfee's PMI Network, and a content deal with The Ringer. The network also expanded its live sports programming into international basketball via an agreement with Sportradar, adding coverage of Australia's National Basketball League, the Chinese Basketball Association, the LNB in France, and Germany's Basketball Bundesliga.[13][16][17] The rebranding was completed in September 2022, with TVG renamed FanDuel TV and TVG2 renamed FanDuel Racing.
In April 2024, the channel launched FanDuel TV Extra, a streaming free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channel featuring a selection of the channel's studio programs and live sports events.[18] FanDuel TV has also syndicated its original programming on YouTube and via other broadcasters, reaching deals to stream Up & Adams on Max, and airings on MSG Network and TruTV.[19]
On October 21, 2024, as part of an agreement with Diamond Sports Group, the Bally Sports regional sports networks were rebranded as FanDuel Sports Network (FDSN). FDSN is separate from FanDuel TV, with FanDuel only serving as a naming rights partner, and Diamond remaining the owner and operator of the networks (albeit with an option for FanDuel to acquire an equity stake of up to 5% once Diamond exits from bankruptcy). Nevertheless, the agreement does contain an option for FanDuel TV to syndicate its original programs via FDSN as well.[20][21]
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