NFL broadcaster Jason Kelce stirred up sports betting controversy before Monday night’s NFL playoff game between the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams.
Kelce alluded to ESPN or someone from PENN Entertainment’s sports betting platform with the same brand giving him a pick to share in front of a large national audience before a really big game.
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During ESPN’s pregame show “Monday Night Countdown,” the former Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman turned analyst made a player prop prediction on Rams quarterback Matt Stafford to go over two passing touchdowns “because they told me to.”
Kelce made this prediction when he was asked “what’s the number” of Stafford TDs during a segment called “Monday Playbook presented by ESPN BET” where the analysts each pick a different prop. After making that initial comment, Kelce followed up with some actual analysis.
“Matthew’s my guy,” he said. “I think he’s gonna get 2-plus touchdowns. They got a week of rest. I think he’s going to come out firing on all cylinders.”
Fellow analyst Ryan Clark then gave his player prop:
“I’m going Kyren Williams, 80-plus rushing yards,” Clark said. “Not because anybody told me to, but because I believe it.”
Stafford threw exactly two touchdown passes in the Rams’ 27-9 victory over the Vikings to advance to the NFC divisional round against the Eagles. ESPN hired the Super Bowl winner and brother of Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce in May to join the “Monday Night Countdown” crew and bring a “dynamic personality” to the broadcast.
A different era
The age of TV announcers or commentators not recognizing betting spreads and point totals is long over. Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned PASPA in 2018, sports betting began spreading across the country and is now legal in 39 states as well as Washington, D.C.
Player props and other types of wagers have also become normalized as sportsbooks now partner with professional leagues and media companies. However, the lines can get a little blurry if a sports betting operator pushes a certain prop and raises questions among industry leaders and bettors about what is being presented, by who, and why to TV audiences.
Blurred lines?
Kelce’s comment could confirm sports betting operators do influence sponsored media segments, which could raise questions among state regulators.
ESPN commentator Rece Davis came under fire in Massachusetts last year for using the phrase “risk-free investment” after ESPN analyst Erin Dolan gave out betting an Under on a college basketball game during the network’s show “College Game Day.” ESPN BET operates in the Bay State.
PENN Entertainment, which purchased the rights to use ESPN’s brand in 2023, had a similar issue when Barstool Sports was the sports betting operator’s platform. Ohio regulators fined Barstool in Feb. 2023 for using risk-free language in ads.
