The decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to allow states to offer sports gambling services has been anticipated for months, and betting-focused channels like TVG, TVG2 and WinView are ready to pounce on the opportunity. 

TVG and TVG2 (formerly HRTV) focus on horse racing and allow viewers to place bets online, with TVG available in about 45 million homes. Adding other sports like football or basketball to the mix wouldn’t seem to be that difficult.

“It’s a great day for all stakeholders in the sports industry,” said Perform Group CEO Ross MacEacharn in a statement. “This decision gives fans new ways to engage with and enjoy their favorite sports. For betting operators and rightsholders, it presents a unique opportunity to build an efficient, properly regulated betting market from the ground up and design a model for what 21st century betting should be. We look forward to working closely with our rightsholder partners, legislators, regulators and clients to shape the reality of a safe, engaging sports betting environment.”

TVG and HRTV owner Paddy Power Betfair has been trying to crack the U.S. sports market since purchasing the channels’ parent Betfair in 2015. Originally founded in Dublin, Ireland, in 1988 as a string of betting parlors, Paddy Power last year purchased Draft, a fantasy sports app that operates in 35 states.

Also last year, Paddy Power launched Betfair Exchange, an online horse wagering service for tracks in New Jersey, and has similar services in Europe and Australia, where it offers gambling on soccer and rugby matches. Translating that expertise to online and TV betting on football and basketball in the U.S. shouldn’t be that difficult.

Paddy Power Betfair U.S. CEO Kip Levin told Bloomberg last month that not only could TVG handle additional sports betting tasks, the company had plans to build a new studio in its Los Angeles headquarters for a new channel devoted to wagering on football, basketball, baseball, hockey and soccer.

“We’re ready to go,” Levin told Bloomberg. 

Investors drove Paddy Power shares up more than 12% on the London Stock Exchange on Monday. 

But Paddy Power won’t be alone. Other sports fantasy sites and other betting related businesses are expected to crowd the field. Earlier today, fantasy sports site Draft Kings, which had to pull ads on ESPN two years ago after legislators in New York objected, said it would move into the sports betting arena.

"Our mission has always been to bring fans closer to the sports they love and now, thanks to the wisdom of the Supreme Court, DraftKings will be able to harness our proven technology to provide our customers with innovative online sports betting products," said DraftKings CEO and co-founder Jason Robins in a statement. "This ruling gives us the ability to further diversify our product offerings and build on our unique capacity to drive fan engagement."

And ESPN said in a statement that while it is too early to tell what impact the ruling will have on its networks “we are actively monitoring it.”

DraftLings said it has been readying a mobile sports betting platform since 2017 in anticipation of a favorable court ruling. The company said it is working with state regulatory agencies to apply for operating licenses in those states that already allow sports betting.

At WinView, CEO Tom Rogers said his company’s patents for mobile and digital games of skill that users play while watching live sports on TV also could translate into gambling applications.

“These patents govern the synchronization of mobile devices with live television sports among many other elements,” Rogers said in a statement. “These same patents cover gambling and games of chance and we look forward to playing a leading role with mobile technology and other applications as states decide how to implement their individual sports gambling laws as a result of this Supreme Court decision.” 

Pop, a cable network joint venture of CBS and Lionsgate, has named Justin Rosenblatt executive vice president of Original Programming and Development. Rosenblatt, currently senior vice president, Alternative Programming at CW Network had previously held senior programming posts at MTV Networks. He will join Pop in September, reporting to president Brad Schwartz.

Rosenblatt succeeds Paul Adler, Pop’s current SVP, Original Programming and Development, who announced his decision to leave after 16-years tenure and the completion of the network’s rebrand. Adler will continue to serve as a consulting producer at Pop for select projects.

Pop, formerly TVGN, rebranded in 2015 and has expanded its scripted and unscripted programming lineup. With over 400 hours of original programming in 2016, Pop’s slate includes critically acclaimed comedy “Schitt’s Creek,” the scripted comedy series “Nightcap” produced by Lionsgate Television, and a cappella docu-series “Sing It On.”

“Justin is the perfect executive to build upon our network’s rapid growth with bold new original programming that breaks through the clutter and resonates with passionate fans and younger, socially-engaged viewers,” Schwartz said in a statement. “His experience from The CW and MTV Networks in both scripted and unscripted programming is exactly what we need for the next phase of our evolution. He will join Pop at an optimal time, taking over the reins from Paul, who has had a remarkable run at the network and has been a great leader and contributor to our successes.”

 In his role at The CW, Rosenblatt oversees all elements of development and current programming. Prior to The CW, he was senior director of series development and programming for MTV2, overseeing shows like “Celebrity Death Match,” “Wildboyz,” and “Final Fu.”

“Pop has done an extraordinary job rebranding itself and is well-positioned as one of the fastest growing networks, supported by two industry leading parent companies, CBS and Lionsgate,” Rosenblatt said in a statement. “I’m fired up to be part of Pop’s evolution and creating the next generation of brand-defining content for the network.”

Brad Schwartz, who had been president of entertainment and media at Pop since joining the then-TVGN in April 2013, is expanding his role to become president of the network. David Wisnia, the longtime entertainment lawyer who had been president of business operations, is leaving the network to pursue other opportunities, the network, a joint venture of CBS and Lionsgate, said in a release.

“Brad’s leadership of TVGN’s successful transition to and rebranding as Pop reflects his clear strategic vision for the network as well as his strong programming skills and business acumen,” CBS CEO Leslie Moonves and Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer said in the release. “We’re pleased to expand his mandate to include oversight of the integrated creative and business operations of the network as Pop continues to build its brand, develop new programming and maintain its growth trajectory.”

Schwartz previously was a programming executive at Fuse, MTV and CTV in Canada.

Dish Network’s retransmission-consent battle with CBS ended almost as soon as it began, with the parties reaching a comprehensive retransmission-consent and carriage accord early Saturday morning, mere hours after the networks went dark to select subscribers.

CBS owned-and-operated stations in 18 markets went dark to select Dish customers at 7 p.m. on Friday after months of negotiations. While CBS expressed extreme frustration in what it called Dish’s foot-dragging in reaching a deal, Dish had stressed that talks continued even as the blackout was implemented.

The standoff ended up lasting less than a day. In a joint statement Saturday morning, Dish and CBS said they had not only reached a retransmission-consent deal for the stations, but a carriage accord for CBS Sports Network, Smithsonian Channel, TVGN and Showtime Networks, including Showtime TV Everywhere and video-on-demand rights.

In addition, all pending litigation against the company has been dropped, and Dish has agreed to disable its Auto Hop ad-skipping functionality for CBS owned stations in the C7 window.

“We are very pleased with this deal, which meets all of our economic and strategic objectives,” CBS Television Networks Distribution president Ray Hopkins said in a statement. “We look forward to having Dish as a valued partner for many years to come.”

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“We are pleased to continue delivering CBS programming to our customers, while expanding their digital access to Showtime content through Showtime Anytime,” said Warren Schlichting, Dish senior vice president, programming in a statement.

The agreement includes retransmission consent for CBS owned stations on Dish in New York (WCBS and WLNY), Los Angeles (KCBS and KCAL), San Francisco (KPIX and KBCW), Dallas (KTVT and KTXA),  Denver (KCNC), Boston (WBZ and WSBK), Chicago (WBBM), Pittsburgh (KDKA and WPCW),  Atlanta (WUPA), Baltimore (WJZ), Detroit (WWJ and WKBD), Miami (WFOR and WBFS), Minneapolis (WCCO), Philadelphia (KYW and WPSG), Sacramento (KOVR and KMAX), Seattle (KSTW) and Tampa (WTOG).

The agreement also grants Dish rights to Showtime video-on-demand content and authentication rights for Showtime Anytime, and includes a path to over-the-top distribution of Showtime Networks.

Dish chairman Charlie Ergen has said the company is on track to launch an over-the-top service, including network content from channels owned by The Walt Disney Co., Scripps Interactive Networks and A&E Networks, by year-end.

With the deal, the parties avoid any consumer consternation that may have emanated from football fans missing the SEC Championship game between top-ranked Alabama and Missouri on Saturday on CBS, not to mention Black Rock's slate of NFL action on Sunday.

Pop network will debut in 2015 its first scripted comedy series Schitt’s Creek, said network officials.

Pop, the rebranded TVGN network, will commission 13 episodes of the series, starring Eugene Levy (American Pie, Best In Show, SCTV), Catherine O’Hara (Home Alone, Best In Show) and Chris Elliott (How I Met Your Mother). The series centers on a formerly filthy rich video store magnate, his soap opera wife and their two kids who suddenly find themselves broke and forced to live in a small, depressing town, said network officials.

Eugene Levy, Daniel Levy, Andrew Barnsley, Fred Levy and Ben Feigin will serve as executive producers of the CBC-commissioned series produced by Not A Real Company Productions Inc.

“This show answers the question — what would the Kardashians do if they woke up one day, completely broke?,” said Brad Schwartz, President of Entertainment and Media, POP in a statement. “Not only is this project a clever cultural commentary where the 1 percent is suddenly the 99, but it fits right in the heart of everything we’re building at our new network. It’s a dream cast, it’s hysterically funny, and it’s sure to pop.”

TVGN has named Pam Bertino as its new senior vice president of content distribution, the network said Thursday.

In the newly created position, Bertino will lead affiliate sales and marketing efforts for the network, which will be rebranded as POP in early 2015. She will report to David Wisnia, president of business operations for TVGN.

Most recently, Bertino served as senior vice president of content distribution at Ovation, leading the network’s content distribution efforts.

“Pam is a seasoned sales executive with significant experience negotiating multi-platform content distribution agreements,” said Wisnia in a statement. “Her leadership, combined with the affiliate sales and marketing team we’ve built over the past year, is a great addition to the network as we prepare to launch POP in early 2015.”

The Pop network – TVGN’s rebranded name beginning in 2015-- will launch six new original series as part of the rebranded network’s programming development slate, network officials said Tuesday.

The new series include competition music series Sing It On; Queens of Drama, a docu-series about daytime soap stars trying to develop a primetime series, Street Magic, which follows underground street magicians.  

The new series join previously announce startups Rock This Boat: New Kids On The Block, The Story Behind, and Big Brother After Dark. In addition, Alan Thicke starrer docu-series Unusually Thicke has been picked up for a second season. The network also said it will offer live red carpet specials at the Oscars and Grammys.  

“We couldn't be more excited to announce our first wave of original programming that will launch POP to the world in the New Year,” said Pop president of entertainment and media Brad Schwartz. “Our slate is filled with fun, fan-driven content featuring big stars and rising talent, as well as an optimistic spirit that celebrates audience passion.”

TVGN (formerly TV Guide Network) has named two new executives to its programming team, appointing Jessie Surovell (pictured) vice president of development and promoting Kristan Giordano to vice president of original programming. Both will be based at TVGN headquarters in Los Angeles and will report to senior vice president of original programming and development, Paul Adler.

“As TVGN continues to expand its original programming, both Jessie and Kristan will play significant roles in building and managing our growing slate of content,” Adler said in a statement. “Their unique perspectives, creative voices and complementary skills make them a perfect duo.”

Surovell joins TVGN from Shed Media US, where she previously served as Executive Director of Development. At TVGN, she will be responsible for creating new original series for the network’s growing slate of programming. While at Shed Media, Surovell developed several hit broadcast and cable shows, including Marriage Ref, Bethenny Getting Married, Hollywood Exes and Thintervention. She also served in the field as talent producer for Dogs in the City and segment producer for Basketball Wives of Los Angeles.

Giordano is a 10-year veteran of TVGN, who most recently served as executive producer at the network. In her new role, she will oversee TVGN’s expanded line-up of current programming, which includes series like Big Brother After Darkand Popsugar Now; TVGN-produced specials and live red carpet events. During her time at TVGN, Giordano has overseen more than 300 specials. Prior to TVGN, she served as a producer at E! Entertainment for Wild On and Celebrities Uncensored.

TVGN has named Debra Wichser chief financial officer, effective immediately.     

Wischer transitions to the role from her previous position as vice president, Corporate Development for CBS Corporation, which owns TVGN in partnership with Lionsgate. Wischer is relocating from New York to Los Angeles and will report to David Wisnia, president of Business Operations, TVGN. 

“Debra is a best-in-class media executive who brings 15 years of management and business strategy experience at leading entertainment corporations. Her strong background in business and finance, coupled with her proven leadership abilities, will be a great addition to our senior management team here at TVGN,” said Wisnia in a statement. 

TVGN has expanded its marketing team with the appointment of two new executives. 

Melissa Stone Mangham has been named Vice President, Marketing and Brand Strategy, and Rich Browd has been named Vice President, Creative Director. 

Stone Mangham joins TVGN after ten years at the Style Network, where she most recently served as Vice President, Consumer Marketing and Partnerships. 

Browd arrives at TVGN after 12 years at MTV Networks in New York, where he most recently served as Senior Art Director. 

“We have enjoyed tremendous ratings growth the past year, and now as we gear up for an exciting brand invigoration, we are adding two incredibly talented, disruptive and iconoclastic executives to our marketing team,” said Brad Schwartz, President, Entertainment and Media, TVGN in a statement. “With Nicole, Rich and Melissa, we are building one of the best marketing and creative teams in the industry, ready to take our business to new heights.”

In further efforts to re-establish itself as a defining voice in celebrity and entertainment culture, TVGN has revealed six new and original series to be added to its programming slate throughout the upcoming year.

During TVGN's upfront event at the Ace Hotel in New York Tuesday morning, President of entertainment and media Brad Schwartz explained how the network's newly-announced programming marks the continued evolution of the TVGN brand. 

“We have transformed the network this past year. CBS came on board as a 50% partner a year ago and we’ve brought on a whole new leadership team and thousands of hours of content that we didn’t have a year ago,” Schwartz said.

The 60-year-old TV Guide brand has been transformed into a network that taps into what Schwartz describes as "hyper-fandom culture," which has led to the increased relevance of social media in Nielsen ratings as well as the success of shows like Talking Dead. 

New series such as the Donnie Wahlberg-produced Rock This Boat, which follows a New Kids on the Block concert cruise, reflect the network's committment to siding with fans of celebrity culture. 

"We think this series has franchise potential," said Schwartz, who suggested a Real Housewives-style spinoff featuring other artist cruises might be a possibility in the future, although there are no concrete plans at this time. 

The network has also enlisted several high-profile personalities for various reality series. Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino of Jersey Shore fame will star in The Sorrentinos, an unscripted series about the reality star's family. Unusually Thicke stars Alan Thicke, his wife Tanya and their 16-year-old son Carter, and Robin Thicke appears in four episodes of the 14-episode series. Schwartz explained that Unusually Thicke blends reality television with situation comedy to create something like a "real life Modern Family."

"It's different than anything you've seen on television because we're not shy about saying it's softly scripted," said Schwartz, "It is very much put into a sitcom format with a beginning, middle and end."

Returning series include daily shows Big Brother: After Dark and Popsugar Now, as well as six additional episodes of The Story Behind, a show which goes behind the scenes of classic television series. 

TVGN currently reaches 80 million homes nation-wide, an achievement bolstered by its partnerships with CBS and Lionsgate. The CBS deal also grants TVGN same-day airing of CBS soaps and hit series, as well as exclusive coverage through Entertainment Tonight of red carpet events such as the Grammy and Tony Awards. 

Despite the influence of its ownership, Schwartz maintained that TVGN is an independent network dedicated to furthering its own brand recognition with original content.