• The Score Betting App Play
• The Score Betting App 2019

Score Media and Gaming Inc. is a publicly traded digital media company based in Toronto, Canada. It was founded in 2012 by John S. Levy, the company’s current Chief Executive Officer and Chairman.^[1] The company owns and operates digital sports media and sports betting products which deliver sports scores, data, news, and sportsbook offerings via emerging and established platforms. The company also previously owned The Score Television Network, which was acquired by Rogers Communications in October 2012 and is today known as Sportsnet 360. The transaction did not include theScore's digital media assets, including its mobile apps and websites.^[2]

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The company was spun-out from Score Media immediately prior to Rogers' acquisition. As a result of the transaction, former shareholders of Score Media received one share of the new company for each share held in Score Media, meaning that Score Media founder John Levy and family are the largest single voting shareholders in the company, as was the case with Score Media, though Rogers received additional shares yielding an ownership stake of 11.8%.^[3] Rogers subsequently sold its shares in theScore in June 2014.^[4]

As of Q1 F2020 (Aug-Nov 2019), theScore’s mobile sports media application was used by an average of 4.3 million monthly active users worldwide, 62% of which were in the United States, 27% in Canada and 11% in other international markets.^[5] The company is publicly traded and was listed on the TSX Venture Exchange until September 2020 when it was promoted to the Toronto Stock Exchange.^[6] Since March 2021, The Score is listed on Nasdaq, under the SCR ticker.

History[edit]

Sportscope[edit]

Launched in 1994 as Sportscope, theScore originally began as a network focusing on providing sports scores, airing in seven Canadian provinces. Sportscope's programming consisted solely of an alphanumeric text rotation of sports scores, news, and sports betting information, which aired alongside local and national advertising slides. As it did not include any video content, it did not require a CRTC licence.

Headline Sports[edit]

Sportscope was granted an English-language specialty channel licence by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission on September 4, 1996, provisionally titled 'Sportscope Plus'. The channel was launched in May 1997 as 'Headline Sports' and was a national 24-hour anchor-at-desk sports information service.^[7] Advertising was also introduced, something that did not exist during the Sportscope era. The oldies music was replaced by modern stock music during text rotation of sports scores and news. The channel also contained a constantly updated ticker at the bottom of the screen, providing sports news and scores, as it still does today, per its CRTC licence requirements. There were plans to air different tickers in each region of the country and additional streams of alphanumeric data (perhaps via an alternate channel) when the channel was launched, but those plans were abandoned.

theScore[edit]

In March 2000, Headline Sports' licence was amended by the CRTC to allow live sports programming, under the conditions that the channel display the ticker and that breaks away from live coverage occur at least once every 15 minutes to present video highlights. As a result of this – the channel was rebranded as 'theScore Television Network' that year. On June 6, 2006, theScore revamped its ticker, alongside the launch of a new HD channel. On September 20, 2011, Score Media announced that it would put theScore Television Network up for sale.^[8]

Purchase by Rogers[edit]

In August 2012, Rogers Communications, owners of the competing network Sportsnet, acquired theScore's parent company with Score Media retaining all of the company’s digital assets.^[9]

Products[edit]

theScore[edit]

‘theScore’ media app was launched in 2007 as the company's first venture into the mobile app industry.^[10] It has since become one of the most popular multi-sport news apps in North America with approximately 4-5 million active users. Available on iOS and Android, the app delivers sports content through a combination of real-time news, scores, stats, and videos for all major leagues, including the National Football League, NCAA Football and Basketball, the National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, PGA Golf, NASCAR Racing, Major League Soccer, major European soccer leagues, and more.^[11] News stories published to the app are produced by a combination of the theScore's mobile-first newsroom, where a team of editors across North America create content via a content management system that delivers news directly to users’ mobile devices. Primary sections on theScore app include ‘News’, ‘Scores’, ‘Favorites’, and ‘Discover’.

theScore Bet[edit]

theScore’s mobile sportsbook offering launched in the United States on September 3rd, 2019, marking the first time that a media company in North America had created and operated a mobile sportsbook in the United States.^[12]

Anyone physically located in the United States is able to download the theScore Bet app with wagering supported for those physically located inside the states of New Jersey, Colorado, and Indiana. ^[13]

In May 2018, the Supreme Court of the United States struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, an act that largely outlawed sports betting in the United States. theScore came out in support of the Supreme Court ruling, where Levy stated in a press release: “We’ve been watching this space for some time and eagerly anticipating this ruling. The ruling unlocks exciting opportunities and we are uniquely positioned to deliver amazing fan experiences on mobile and in-game as the betting market develops.”^[14]

On December 18, 2018, theScore became the first media company to announce plans to launch a mobile sportsbook in the United States after securing market access through an official licensing partnership with Darby Development LLC, the operator behind the New Jersey-based Monmouth Park Racetrack. The partnership paved the way for theScore to offer online and mobile sports betting across the state of New Jersey.^[15]

In August 2019, theScore and Penn National Gaming, the largest regional gaming operator in the United States, entered into a strategic multi-state market access framework agreement, providing theScore the rights to obtain online and mobile sports wagering in an additional 11 states.^[16]

In September 2019, theScore launched theScore Bet in New Jersey under its market access agreement with Darby Development LLC, the operator of Monmouth Park Racetrack. ^[17]

theScore esports[edit]

Launched in 2015, is theScore's online platform dedicated to reporting news for all major competitive video games and players.^[18] Its primary distribution platform for content is YouTube, and in November 2019, the channel surpassed over one million total subscribers on the platform, making it the leading source for competitive gaming coverage.^[19] The channel’s rapid growth is a part of the company’s broader strategy to unsilo^{[clarification needed]} the esports industry through a wide range of content offerings. As of December 2020, theScore esports YouTube channel had more than 1.5 million subscribers.

Emerging Platforms[edit]

In 2017, theScore launched new skills for Amazon’s virtual Assistant, Alexa, to deliver sports news and updates on command. The capabilities for Alexa – known as ‘skills’ – include daily ‘flash briefings’ for theScore and theScore esports, offering a two-minute audio summary of all the major headlines that matter. Fans with an Alexa device can select theScore as their flash briefing and ask “Alexa – what’s in the news?” and theScore will deliver a comprehensive audio sports briefing.^[20]

In 2018, theScore extended its virtual assistant capabilities with its launch on Bixby, the virtual assistant developed by Samsung Electronics. Users across the United States on select Samsung Galaxy devices, including the Galaxy S9 and S9+, can now receive personalized live scores and breaking news on their Bixby Home. By simply swiping right on their home screen to the Bixby Home service, the integration provides fans the ability to view theScore’s sports headlines for a wide-range of sports, including the FIFA World Cup, NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, and EPL. If users want access to deeper information beyond a score or news headline, they can tap on theScore’s content card on Bixby to be taken to theScore app, if already installed on their device. ^[21]

Social Audience[edit]

theScore employs a dedicated team of social media editors, content creators, and curators, who are responsible for sharing content through social platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other third party platforms. In Q1 F2020, theScore's social content reached nearly 97 million users a month across its social media platforms.^[22]

In 2018, theScore expanded its content strategy by collaborating with pop culture figures and major sports athletes, focusing on telling the stories of their personal and professional triumphs. theScore premiered their new strategy with an 11-minute feature on NBA star, Lance Stephenson. The video received media coverage across major news platforms including ESPN, Sports Illustrated, NBC Sports, USA Today, and others, recording approximately 80 million earned media impressions. That year, theScore was named a finalist for Social Media Team of the Year in the annual Digiday Awards.^[23]

Since theScore expanded its content strategy, other athletes and celebrities, including Austin Rivers, Burna Boy, Enes Kanter, Diamond Dallas Page, Steve Nash, and Marshawn Lynch, have been exclusively featured across its social channels. For its viral piece titled ‘Enes the Menace’ starring NBA centre Enes Kanter and WWE Hall-of-Famer Diamond Dallas Page, theScore was named as a finalist for the Cynopsis Model D Award of Best Documentary.^[24]

Team[edit]

Leadership[edit]

John Levy, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer[edit]

John is a media industry entrepreneur, growing his family's small cable business into one of the 10 largest distributors in the country before founding theScore. In October 2012, John and his team structured and executed the sale of Score Media's television assets to Rogers Media and the spin-out of Score Media's digital assets into a new entity – theScore, Inc. This allowed John and his team to focus on growing theScore's mobile platforms, including its flagship app ‘theScore’ and recently launched U.S. mobile sportsbook, ‘theScore Bet’. ^[25]

Benjie Levy, President & Chief Operating Officer[edit]

Benjie oversees the development and execution of theScore's business strategy and has been instrumental in shaping its digital media offerings, including the creation and launch of theScore's mobile apps. A graduate of the University of Toronto with a B.Com specializing in Finance, Benjie began his career as an investment banker in the Communications and Media group at BMO Nesbitt Burns in Toronto, prior to joining theScore in 2001. ^[25]

The Score Betting App Play

Headquarters[edit]

Score Media and Gaming Inc. is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, along King Street West. The facility, totaling approximately 30,881 square feet, houses the company's corporate, administration, sales and production teams; which, in total, consist of over 200 full-time employees. theScore also maintains offices in Hamilton, Ontario which is partially owned by John Levy, the company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. This facility, totaling approximately 1,500 square feet, contains an executive office.^[11] It also maintains offices in New York City, New York, in a shared work space for the company's U.S. based employees who are engaged in sales, marketing, and business development.

References[edit]

1. ^'TheScore founder John Levy on growing up in the family business'. www.canadianbusiness.com. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
2. ^'Rogers will only have small stake in Score Media's digital growth'.
3. ^'Score Media Inc. completes plan of arrangement theScore App: The Ultimate, Personalized Mobile Sports Experience'. mobile.thescore.com. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
4. ^'Are you owned by Rogers Media?'. theScore. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
5. ^https://mobile.thescore.com/2020/01/thescore-reports-q1-f2020-financial-results/
6. ^'Score Media and Gaming gets full listing at TSX'. National Post. September 14, 2020.
7. ^'Canadian Trademarks Details 0832430-0 – Canadian Trademarks Database – Intellectual property and copyright – Canadian Intellectual Property Office – Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada'.Cite journal requires journal= (help)
8. ^'Specialty sports channel The Score for sale'. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
9. ^'CNW Rogers Media to Acquire theScore Television Network'. www.newswire.ca. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
10. ^'Score Media launches ScoreMobile 2.0 theScore App: The Ultimate, Personalized Mobile Sports Experience'. mobile.thescore.com. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
11. ^ ^ab'Annual Information Form for the year ended August 31, 2018'(PDF). mobile.thescore.com. October 17, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
12. ^'Introducing theScore Bet'. Score Media and Gaming. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
13. ^https://mobile.thescore.com/2020/09/thescore-bet-continues-multi-state-expansion-with-indiana-launch/
14. ^'theScore Supports Supreme Court Ruling on Sports Betting in the U.S.'mobile.thescore.com. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
15. ^'theScore Announces Plans to Launch Mobile Sportsbook in New Jersey'. mobile.thescore.com. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
16. ^'theScore and Penn National Gaming Enter into Strategic Multi-State Market Access Partnership'. mobile.thescore.com. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
17. ^https://mobile.thescore.com/2019/09/introducing-thescore-bet-thescores-mobile-sportsbook-launches-in-new-jersey/
18. ^'Introducing 'theScore eSports' – The Ultimate Mobile eSports Experience theScore App: The Ultimate, Personalized Mobile Sports Experience'. mobile.thescore.com. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
19. ^'theScore esports YouTube Channel Reaches One Million Subscribers'. mobile.thescore.com. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
20. ^'theScore announces Amazon Alexa flash briefing skills to deliver sports updates theScore App: The Ultimate, Personalized Mobile Sports Experience'. mobile.thescore.com. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
21. ^'theScore on Bixby to provide Live Sports Scores and News to Sports Fans Across the United States'. mobile.thescore.com. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
22. ^'theScore Reports Q1 F2020 Financial Results'. mobile.thescore.com. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
23. ^Adams, Jessica (October 9, 2018). 'Havas, Arby's and Carat lead the Digiday Awards finalists'. Digiday. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
24. ^'Best Documentary - MODEL D AND 'IT' LIST AWARDS 2019'. Cynopsis Media. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
25. ^ ^ab'About Us theScore App: The Ultimate, Personalized Mobile Sports Experience'. mobile.thescore.com. Retrieved December 5, 2018.

The Score Betting App 2019

When sports gambling effectively became legal outside of Nevada following the Supreme Court decision striking down a federal ban, it really just became a matter of “when” in how sports media companies would figure out how to make money off of it. Many of the predictions we made about how media companies could capitalize on the trend are already coming true. CBS said in August it was already starting to see ad revenue in states where sports gambling had been legalized (a revenue source expected to bloom in the years to come). Major networks are also slowly starting to let odds and gambling talks seep into the discussion during broadcasts. And programs such as Bleacher Report’s Simms and Lefkoe: The Show brought a gambling focus with it as media companies tried to step into the sports gambling space head-on.

The expansion into that space continued Monday with Sports media company theScore Inc.’s announcement that they would launch a New Jersey sports betting app at some point in 2019.

TheScore is a mobile-first media company that offers sports scores and news via an app and website, much in the same way you might find on ESPN or CBSSports.com. Where they plan to differentiate themselves now is by harnessing sports fans’ insatiable interesting gambling information and coupling with their usual offerings of scores and reports.

The way that TheScore is getting into sports betting takes form in two different partnerships. First, they’ve partnered with Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey, one of three racetracks currently licensed for sports betting in the state. Second, they’re working with startup Bet.Works in order to provide a sports betting platform through their site and app. This trio will work together to create an app which will allow users to place bets online.

The sports betting app will require approval from the NJ Division of Gaming Enforcement and the New Jersey Racing Commission. However, TheScore believes they’ll be able to launch it sometime around mid-2019.

“This is a transformational moment for theScore, becoming the first media company in North America to announce its plans to launch online and mobile sports betting in the United States,” said John Levy, founder and CEO of theScore. “Sports betting has long been part of our company DNA in how we’ve delivered content to fans. Providing the ability to actually bet on games is the natural next phase for theScore.”

It’s going to make for an interesting case study for the company as well as the industry as a whole. It’s unclear how this specific app will work but imagine checking the daily news and updates about today’s games and then being able to place a bet right there before going back to checking box scores and the latest stories.

TheScore will also have a decent pool of testers to choose from. They currently have over four million active users on their app, not to mention an even larger database of past users to tap into. Per Legal Sports Report, the company also reached 50 million sports fans on their various platforms in Q3 and send out 1.5 billion sports-centric alerts every month. They also have 3.4 million Facebook followers, so they’re going to be able to reach a lot of sports fans with their proposition.

If this gambit pays off, expect to see them try it out on the other states where online betting is or soon will be legal (Nevada, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia). You can also bet that other sports media companies are going to take notice and try it out as well. Odds are good they’ll do well too since New Jersey sports betting operators generated $21.2 million in revenue on $330 million in wagers in November alone.

[Legal Sports Report]