• Loading stock data...
Thursday, March 28, 2024
2024 Best Venues nominations are open now through April 8! Submit Now

NBC’s Tony Dungy Rips NFL’s Lucrative Embrace Of Sports Betting

  • ‘I don’t think we should encourage people who are watching the NFL to gamble,’ says Dungy.
  • The NFL poised to reap $270 million this season from seven sports book partnerships.

There’s one respected NFL voice opposed to the league’s full-on embrace of sports betting: Tony Dungy of NBC Sports.

The Super Bowl-winning coach turned analyst for “Football Night in America” questioned the league’s decision to forge partnerships with seven sports betting operators during a media call Tuesday.

The NFL expects to generate $270 million from its new gambling partnerships this season, according to the Washington Post. That new revenue should help the league recover from the pandemic-plagued 2020 season, when annual revenue fell to $12 billion from $16 billion. 

For decades, the NFL was the fiercest opponent of sports betting, noted Dungy. So what happened?

“I don’t know why the NFL changed its stance. My objection is just personal. I don’t think we should encourage people who are watching the NFL to gamble. Especially young people,” Dungy said. 

“I’ve got boys. I want them to enjoy the game for what it is … It’s a great game. And I know people gamble. I know it’s legal. I just don’t want to see the NFL promoting it. That’s just my personal opinion. I know a lot of people don’t agree with that.” 

NBC’s Mike Tirico partially agreed with Dungy. But he noted gambling on pro football’s been going on for decades. 

“The fact that it’s now legalized may legitimize the process a little bit,” said Tirico. “But I do think it can have an influence on younger fans. We need to be wise to that in general.”

This week, the NFL announced deals making FOX Bet, BetMGM, PointsBet, and WynnBET “approved sportsbook operators” for the 2021 season. That means those companies can advertise during NFL games and other programming. But they can’t use the NFL shield trademark. 

In April, the league signed its first-ever sportsbook partnerships with DraftKings, FanDuel, and Caesars Entertainment. The three sportsbooks have exclusive rights to integrate NFL trademarks with the sports betting category.

Dungy previously led the Indianapolis Colts to victory over the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI, making him the first Black head coach to win a Super Bowl. He was inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016 following a 13-year coaching career that included stints with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Colts. 

Described by media outlets as the “conscience of the NFL” and “football’s high priest,” the 65-year Dungy has served as an analyst on “Football Night in America” since 2009. It’s been the most-watched NFL pregame show since its inception. NBC’s national “Sunday Night Football” game has reigned as the most-watched primetime show for a record 10 years in a row.


NBC is set to televise both the opening kickoff game between the Super Bowl champion Buccaneers and Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, Sep. 9 and the season-ending Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13. The Peacock network is charging a record rate of $6 million per 30-second spot during the Big Game.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Spring Football’s Big Bet: An Unlikely TV Marriage, and Crazy Rules

The United Football League launches this weekend on ESPN and Fox.

‘Good Morning Football’ Beginning Mysterious Timeout Before L.A. Move

Friday is the final broadcast of ‘Good Morning Football’ from New York.

Jets Owner Blasts ‘False’ Reporting From League-Owned Outlet

League owners and NFL Media rarely criticize each other.

NFL to Auction Media Rights to Two Christmas Day Games

Bidding is likely to start at $50 million, say sources, but analysts expect the games to go for far more.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

MLB Opens Season With MLBPA, Ohtani, and Ownership Dramas

0:00
0:00

Featured Today

March 22, 2024, Brooklyn, NY, USA; Northwestern Wildcats guard Brooks Barnhizer (13) and Northwestern Wildcats guard Boo Buie (0) react in overtime against the Florida Atlantic Owls in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at the Barclays Center.
March 27, 2024

‘An Expensive Game’: March Madness and NIL Collectives Are Intertwined

At schools nationwide, collectives are fueling NCAA tournament runs and vice versa.
Iowa’s Caitlin Clark (22) waits to be announced in the starting lineup against West Virginia in a NCAA Tournament round of 32 game Monday, March 25, 2024 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.
March 26, 2024

The Women’s Trading Card Market Is Overlooked. Can Caitlin Clark Change That?

Traditionally, women’s sports cards have been a marginal part of collectibles.
The Sports Illustrated cover signed by Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, February 27, 2019, at Don & Charlie's, 7501 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale. Don Charlie S
March 24, 2024

Everything You Need to Know About the Ongoing ‘Sports Illustrated’ Saga

Understanding the strange state of affairs for the nearly 70-year-old publication.

Careers

Powered By

Careers in Sports

Looking for a new job? Check out these featured listings and search for openings all over the world.
Live Nation
Multiple - USA Careers
Adidas
Multiple - USA Careers
Spotify
Multiple - USA Careers
March 27, 2024

NFL Executive Questions Logic Behind Streaming Giants’ Joint Venture

The ESPN, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Fox alliance is expected to launch this fall.
March 28, 2024

Late Rush Keeps Three MLB Teams on TV, but Revenue Issues Linger

The Diamondbacks, Padres, and Rockies continue to navigate a post-RSN landscape.
Sponsored

How Daily Fantasy Sports Solved NBA Fantasy

The remarkable growth of the #1 Discord sports server in the world.
exclusive
March 26, 2024

Threats, Demands, a Lawsuit, and a Website in Limbo: Inside the Chaos at ‘SI’

‘Sports Illustrated’ has new publishers, but the transition has been messy at best.
March 25, 2024

Inside the Proxy Fight for the Future of Disney (and ESPN)

Dissident investor Nelson Peltz is seeking two board seats in an upcoming election.
March 25, 2024

The Brian Kelly ‘Hit Job’ Kim Mulkey Ripped Is Barely About Brian Kelly at All

The article was hardly about Kelly at all.
March 23, 2024

At ESPN, She’s the Storyteller of the Women’s Tourney—and What a Year It Is for That

Sara Gaiero sees Caitlin Clark hype as an opportunity to hook people on two ESPN products: March Madness and, eventually, the WNBA.