• Loading stock data...
Friday, September 12, 2025
Tuned In is Almost Sold Out! Limited Tickets Remain!

Bleacher Report Integrates Sports Betting into NBA Draft Coverage

Jun 19, 2019; New York, NY, USA; Zion Williamson of Duke speaks to the media during a 2019 NBA Draft draft prospects press conference at the Grand Hyatt. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
bleacher-report-2019-nba-draft
Photo Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Bleacher Report is bringing a unique twist for covering the NBA Draft this year, aiming to challenge the traditions associated with draft talk shows.

It will host its first-ever multi-location live event around the draft, a 90-minute show that will distributed across its social and digital platforms.

The show will feature content from three separate locations: while two of those will offer B/R’s take on the more atypical draft show format, the third will be done live from Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, which will show how the draft and the subsequent roster moves affect live NBA betting odds.

“If you think about how TV does drafts – you set up a table, you put the experts behind it and (they) talk about their perspective of what’s happening,” said Sam Toles, Bleacher Report chief content officer. “We really feel ourselves being the site of a fellow fan – the way that fans experience sports as it happens in real time in their social feeds. That’s how we sort of approached it. We’re very excited to see something that can come together and will feel, I think, much more distinctively B/R than other offerings in this space.”

From B/R’s New York City studio, B/R talent Taylor Rooks will anchor a show featuring both Tobias Harris of the Philadelphia 76ers and Josh Hart of the Los Angeles Lakers. The trio will offer opinions on the impact this year’s rookie class will have in the NBA. Given Rooks’ recent ascension in the sports media world, Toles is especially excited to see her present during draft night.

At the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, where the draft will be held, B/R Reporter Master Tesfatsion will be interviewing fans and providing content from their point of view, an extension of his Instagram-show “Outchea” that will be done in partnership with NBATV.

Meanwhile, at B/R’s new studio in Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, sports betting expert Kelly Stewart will provide fans with live updating betting odds for the 2019-2020 season.

“If you’re somebody who’s passionate about sports betting and is curious about how this really transformational draft season is going to change the line, I think you will find something really fascinating and never-before-seen in that segment of the show,” Toles added.

“If you want to get that sort of insight and in-depth perspective that only Taylor [Rooks] can bring in her interviews and in that live studio setting, I think that our highlights span kick ass and will be amazing,” said Toles. “If you want to know what’s going on at Barclays and feel that real time connection to the event, Masters [Testafion] will deliver that for you.”

In 2018, the NBA Draft was a huge day for B/R, something it thinks this new approach can deliver for it again this year.

READ MORE: Anthony Davis wants his chips with the dip

In just that one day, B/R generated nearly six million total engagements, which was nearly double its year-to-date average. It said it also led all competitors in engagement, and finished in the top 10 of Instagram’s most engaged accounts that day, with two of its most engaged posts reaching over 10 million users.

The B/R app also had one of its most busiest days on draft day last year as well. It had more than 10 million visits, which made it one of the top five most-trafficked days in 2018 and up more than 10% year-over-year.

With the hype around Zion Williamson as well as the bevy of moves around the NBA already this off-season, Toles is confident that records will be broken this upcoming draft.

“We absolutely expected that [this year] will exceed [last year’s] numbers and that we’ll have similar success across our other touchpoints,” Toles stated.

But while B/R will feature Williamson, it also sees the opportunity to tell the story of the other players who will ascend to the NBA.

One of those? Kevin Porter Jr., who was the subject of a video by B/R supervising producer Johnny Sweet that has over 2 million views on Twitter and Instagram. With other talented college stars such as Ja Morant and RJ Barrett about to enter the NBA, Toles wants the sports world to see that at B/R, every athlete’s story deserves to be heard by its fans.

“This is not just one athlete,” Toles said. “This is about sharing stories that mean something to the fans and we’re doing that as Bleacher only can do.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

NBA Draft Ratings Fall 14.5% Despite Early Cooper Flagg Lift

3.77 million viewers watched across ESPN and ABC.

Ace Bailey’s Strategy May Have Cost Him $9M—and Preferred Team

Bailey reportedly wanted to go to the Wizards, Pelicans, or Nets.
Bristol, CT - October 3, 2023 - Studio X: Kevin Negandhi on the set of SportsCenter.

From NBA Draft to Rubik’s Championship: Negandhi’s Whirlwind Summer With ESPN

Negandhi recently anchored the NBA draft lottery and NBA draft.

NBA Draft’s Most Shocking First-Round Pick Repped by LeBron’s Agent

Rich Paul and the Klutch Sports Group represent Yang.

Featured Today

Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl Rematch Could Set More NFL Ratings Records

Fox will nationally televise Sunday afternoon’s matchup.
September 10, 2025

ESPN’s ‘MNF’ Ratings Up 8% As NFL Surges to Strong Start

ESPN posts its second-best Week 1 “Monday Night Football” audience.
Sep 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills fans react during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium.
September 9, 2025

As Bills Ascend, Their Next Frontier Lies in Canada

Buffalo and the powerful Canadian entity MLSE come together in a new pact.
opinion
September 9, 2025

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly from NFL’s Week 1 Broadcasts

Many viewers decried the addition of ads to “NFL RedZone.”
Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Arvell Reese (8) pursues Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) during the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025.

College Football Enters Week 3 Up 21% in TV Ratings

Total college football viewership across all networks is up big.
September 5, 2025

NFL’s Expected Early-Season Ratings Boost Gets Off to a Stormy Start

The kickoff game somewhat resembles the delays last year in an SNF game.
Sep 6, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; General view of a Fox Sports camera station before the game between the Delaware Fightin Blue Hens against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field.
September 11, 2025

Lachlan Murdoch on Fox’s Sports Strategy, FanDuel Plans

The executive calls a forthcoming streaming bundle with ESPN “essential” for fans.
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
September 4, 2025

TNT Sports to Try Its Own Streaming App After WBD Split

TNT Sports will have its own app as a corporate split approaches.
Eagles
September 4, 2025

The Death of Streameast Has Been Greatly Exaggerated

Mirror sites began popping up Thursday, the day the NFL season begins.
September 4, 2025

3 ABC Games Top 10M Viewers Each in ESPN’s Record CFB Weekend

Miami–Notre Dame led the way with 10.8 million viewers.
September 4, 2025

Bill Belichick’s UNC Debut Draws More Than 6M Viewers on ESPN

TCU-UNC was the fifth-most-watched college football game of Week 1.