[Xxfireman]

This article touches slightly on how online sports gambling is ruining sports for non gamblers as well in the “The Product as Currently Offered is Terrible” section. We don’t get interesting stats or in-depth analysis by commentators now. All we get is the odds, over/under, etc. I will see pregame shows where commentators will pick 5 leg parlays (who benefits from this?) Sports as a product is shifting completely to a means of online gambling. I suspect it is because they make more money from a gambler than a viewer.

[idopmstuff]

I agree this is true, but I think it ignores the way commentary went before sports gambling - it was rambling anecdotes, random stats and lots of repetition (and that was the good commentators). Every once in a while you'd get a really entertaining color commentator (I personally love to listen to Jeff van Gundy rant about anything) or a very insightful former player (think Tony Romo calling out the defenses before the ball is snapped), but for the most part sports commentating has always been mediocre because the essence of the job is filling hours of time per game with talking.

[Xxfireman]

I agree that commentary was rambling anecdotes, stats, and repetition, but when I turn on the tennis channel and I see the commentators talking about the “Fan Dual match of the day” and the current match line odds, it makes me think the commentators are no longer for me (non-gambler), but for fan dual customers themselves. I do not have a problem with anyone gambling, but I would like prohibition of sports betting ads for content broadcasters, or at least limit advertisements to commercials only, no more integrating with the broadcast itself. Could you imagine commentators talking about the best F150 deals or any other commonly advertised product every 10 minutes? (Please don’t give advertisers any more ideas)

[LargeWu]

"but when I turn on the tennis channel and I see the commentators talking about the “Fan Dual match of the day...”

This sort of promo message is almost as old as sports broadcasting itself. Go to a baseball game and everything is "Seventh Inning Stretch brought to you by Tire Plus" and "The Schweigert Sausages Mascot Race" and "Bud Light Fan Cam" and a million other sponsored messages. This is no different really, except it's for a product you find objectionable.

[singleshot_]

Gambling might be a math problem, and it might be a grift, but it’s definitely not a product.

[fragmede]

The ad's aren't for gambling itself, they're advertising a specific gambling platform. An advertisement for Absolut Vodka isn't strictly an ad for alcoholism, it just also happens to contain that message.

[JasserInicide]

Well said. For me, watching anything regarding the NFL in the past ~8 years is borderline intolerable. The godawful commercials with loud as shit volume, every broadcast "segment" needing a fucking ad spot, the sappy 20 minute stories about the running back's 2nd cousin's wife's childhood babysitter going through an oh-so-hard time with cancer that was only made to get more women to watch, the political grandstanding...I can't take it. I've barely watched any games this year.