NFL audiences in Canada are getting a very different experience this season while watching Sunday NFL football games on Bell Media platforms TSN, CTV, CTV2, and RDS.
The aforementioned platforms are the exclusive broadcast partners of the NFL in Canada, and the Sunday broadcasts have been transformed this season after FanDuel and TSN formed a major partnership on April 4, the same day the regulated iGaming and sports betting market launched in the province of Ontario.
As the official sports betting partner of TSN, FanDuel’s odds and perspectives have been integrated into the network’s live sports broadcasts, including its Sunday football broadcasts and flagship daily show, .
In 2020, TSN.ca launched TSN Edge, a hub dedicated exclusively to betting and fantasy content. FanDuel’s been contributing its odds and insights to the site and its social platforms.
Davis Sanchez — the co-founder of TSN Edge and a former cornerback in both the CFL and NFL — and former Seattle Seahawks tight end Luke Willson are leading TSN and FanDuel’s team that’s providing sports betting news, information, and analysis for TSN’s FanDuel Sundays.
The gambling-focused segments, which include insights directly from FanDuel’s trading floor, are intended to give viewers a deeper understanding and help enhance the narratives of the game. These segments are layered in sporadically throughout the day on NFL Sunday broadcasts.
“We want to get the right blend of frequency of quality,” FanDuel Vice President of Marketing Conor Murray told . “We think [Sanchez and Willson are] really strong fits. They have authentic voices and know the space really well. Their pedigree in football is at such a high level, having been former football players.”
Murray says both Sanchez and Willson are FanDuel customers, and that the duo “have been doing really well” with their sports wagers. Both appear on TSN’s betting segments and other football shows across the network.
Willson — who was born in LaSalle, Ontario and played in 102 NFL games over seven seasons — has been praised by viewers for his spirited takes on gambling and football. His appearance more closely resembles that of a rock star than a football analyst, and a quick Twitter search reveals how viewers are digesting Willson’s persona:
“Luke Willson is a rising star at TSN. Hopefully he doesn't get a big head because it would pop off his man bun.” — donhewitt15
“Luke Willson’s on TSN giving out eight-leg +25000 SGPs? We’ve reached the peak.” — @GarionThorne
“@TSN_Sports Are you guys appealing to the unemployed stoner demo by having Luke Willson out there slurring his words with bed head?” — @jessekunicky
Love him or hate him, Willson is creating quite the buzz this NFL season.
PSA @TSN_Edge @FanDuelCanada pic.twitter.com/bKAtpRIoje
— Luke Willson (@LWillson_82) October 1, 2022
Viewer backlash to sports betting content
Since the launch of Ontario’s regulated market, Canadian viewers have been bombarded with sports betting advertisements.
Responsible gambling advocates expressed concerns about the “tsunami of gambling advertisements” coming to Canada, and nearly every commercial break since April 4 on TSN and other sports networks in Canada features at least one sports betting or iCasino advertisement.