The Indianapolis Colts-Dallas Cowboys game made history Sunday, becoming the first NFL contest to be streamed on an American sportsbook's app.
Caesars Sportsbook customers could view a live, low-latency "Watch & Bet" stream of Colts-Cowboys on mobile phones and tablets. The "Watch & Bet" streams will be available for select games this season, according to a release announcing the launch of the new product.
The stream comes from a collaboration from the NFL, Caesars Sportsbook and Genius Sports, the league's official data distributor. Livestreams of NFL games have been available in some international jurisdictions in recent seasons, but Sunday marked the first time an NFL game appeared on a sportsbook's betting platform in the U.S.
"The addition of live Watch & Bet video streaming brings the best that the NFL has to offer right into the Caesars Sportsbook app," Eric Hession, president of Caesars Digital, said in the release. "Delivering innovative technology like this remains a key emphasis for us, so being the first U.S. sportsbook to provide customers with in-app NFL livestreaming isn't something we take lightly."
"We're excited to offer fans a new way to experience and engage with NFL content," said Brent Lawton, vice president of NFL media strategy and business development. "Watch and Bet is an innovative step forward in our partnerships with Genius Sports and Caesars."
It's also another major pivot point in the NFL's embrace of the legal betting market. Before 2018, the NFL adamantly opposed traditional sports betting over fears that it would taint the perception of the integrity of the game. In 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, the federal statute that had restricted regulated sports betting to primarily Nevada, and the NFL has changed its stance.
Legal bookmakers now operate in more than 30 states and regularly advertise during NFL broadcasts. And now some of those games will be shown on sportsbook apps.
Other NFL games scheduled to be streamed on Caesars Sportsbook's app include: Miami Dolphins at Los Angeles Chargers, Dec. 11; New England Patriots at Las Vegas Raiders, Dec. 18; Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Arizona Cardinals, Dec. 25; and Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Chargers, Jan. 1.
Some playoff games also will be streamed on Caesars' app.
Disclosure: ESPN has a business partnership with Caesars Sportsbook.