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.” 

Mobile games company WinView is letting users cash-in on the their sports know-how during this Sunday's Super Bowl, with quarter-by-quarter contests that allow them to compete for a chance to win up to $25,000 in prizes.

With “The Perfect Game Jackpot for the Big Game” promotion, users will answer 18-to-25 Yes/No questions during each quarter of this Sunday’s championship match-up between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles. In order to win the jackpot, a user must answer all the questions during the course of a quarter correctly. Each question will be sent directly to their mobile device as the game unfolds and include questions like “Will the first play of the quarter be a run or pass?”, “Will New England complete a pass of 15+ yards on this drive?” or “Will Philadelphia record a sack or turnover on this drive?” Payouts are immediate at the completion of each quarterly contest.

“There are some feats that lead to instant sports immortality,” WinVew executive chairman Tom Rogers said in a statement. “We’re proud to add the WinView Perfect Game to the pantheon. Never before have fans watching at home become such a big part of the game. This year, the Big Game’s not only on TV...it’s in your hands.”

Participants must download the WinView Games app on iOS or Android to play. They can also enter a Paid Entry Contest for a chance to win the $25,000 jackpot, or enter a Free Contest for a chance to win a $5,000 jackpot.  WinView’s paid contests, which are legal to play in 36 U.S. states, range from $2 to $100 in entry fees, competing against sports fans ranging from 6 to 25 players. WinView’s free entry contests offer smaller prize pools and are legal to play in all 50 states.

WinView, a startup behind a free mobile app that lets users win cash prizes by making situational predictions during live TV sporting events, has expanded into Major League Baseball.

WinView’s new baseball game, offered on its app for iOS and Android mobile devices, now synchs up with each at-bat from live, regular season  national and regional televised games.

WinView noted that its ad-supported platform lets users enter 20-person, one-inning competitions for free, which pays out cash prizes to the top scorers each inning, and supports two types of live  -- stat-driven Safe or Out predictions for the outcome of an at-bat, and situational Yes or No predictions created and delivered in real time by WinView producers. Users can also make a “Clutch Pick” for a chance to double their points with a correct prediction.

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At the end of each one-inning contest, winners are rewarded with WinCoins that can be accumulated and redeemed for cash prizes.

WinView recently landed a $12 million “B” round from a group that includes Graham Holdings, Discovery Communications, LionTree Partners, and Ted Leonsis’ Monumental Sports & Entertainment.

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Tom Rogers, the former chairman and CEO of TiVo, is executive chairman of WinView. He’s on tap to keynote the Next TV Summit on June 15 in New York City in a session moderated by Broadcasting & Cable, Multichannel News and Next TV editorial director Mark Robichaux.

“The changing face of television consumption in the U.S. has made both televised sports and sports leagues realize they need to find new ways to engage the viewer with a deeper, more fun experience,” Rogers said in a statement. “Our immersive live sports prediction platform provides the ideal vehicle, especially when considering the enormous success of two-screen sports in Europe.”

WinView, a startup that has built a free mobile app that lets users win cash prizes by making situational predictions during live TV sporting events, said it has raised a $12 million “B” round from a group that includes Graham Holdings, Discovery Communications, LionTree Partners, and Ted Leonsis’ Monumental Sports & Entertainment.

WinView said the funding round was led by former TiVo and NBC exec Tom Rogers, who is also executive chairman of WinView. With the new round factored in, WinView has raised about $20 million.

WinView said it will use the funding to drive further development and marketing of its skill-based mobile app for a wide range of pro sports, including baseball, basketball and football.

WinView Games, an ad-supported, free app, covers sporting contests via in a live studio by a team of producers based on what is happening in real time. As an example, users can predict outcomes of a football game, including propositions such as the opening coin toss, outcomes of field goals, and placing wagers (in the form of points) on whether a running back might fumble the ball during the current quarter.

“It’s an incredibly skill-oriented game,” Rogers told Multichannel News last year when WinView announced it had raised about $6.5 million, and a $3.4 million “A” round led by Rogers and former Cablevision Systems (now Altice USA) vice chairman Hank Ratner, who is now president and CEO of Independent Sports and Entertainment, a New York-based firm that represents more than 300 athletes across several major pro sports.

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WinView currently offers apps for iOS and Android. The company said it has a portfolio of 40 “foundational patents” covering the synchronization of the second-screen with TV broadcasts and commercials. 

The new investors “is a major validation of our live TV sports prediction platform and its upside potential to engage TV viewers in a new way to enjoy televised sports," Rogers said in a statement. "The WinView Games app fills a sports culture void by converting fans and TV viewers from spectators into play-along-live participants. Following last fall's successful start, these investments will enable us to take a significant step forward toward reaching our mobile, social and gaming business goals while capitalizing on fan excitement across virtually all professional sports including basketball, baseball and football. We also will strive to be part of the in-stadium experience, enabling fans to predict plays from their seats."

"WinView's products complement Discovery's goal to reach and engage our superfans around the world and across all screens,” added David Zaslav, Discovery’s president and CEO.

Hank Ratner, the former vice chairman of Cablevision Systems, has been named president and CEO of Independent Sports and Entertainment (ISE),  a New York-based firm that represents more than 300 of athletes in the NBA, NFL and MLB.

Ratner is also coming on board as ISE closed a $30 million investment from Ron Burkle through The Yucaipa Companies. Burkle has also been tapped to serve as chairman of the board for ISE.

ISE said the funding will be used to fuel growth and expansion, noting that it has retained top agents and clients from Relativity Sports to launch the sports management divisions of the company, which will be headed by Mark Pieper & Fernando Cuza (ISE Baseball), Dan Fegan (ISE Basketball), and Roosevelt Barnes & Doug Hendrickson (ISE Football).

ISE, which plans to seek additional venture investment opportunities in the area of sports and entertainment technology, said its role is to secure marketing, business and endorsement opportunities across the film, television, fashion, live event, retail and hospitality industries for its clients.

Ratner joins ISE soon after Altice closed its acquisition of Cablevision. Ratner recently joined TiVo chairman Tom Rogers in a $3.4 million series A investment in WinView, which is developing a free mobile app that enables users to win cash prizes by making situational predictions during live TV sporting events. Ratner is also a former president and CEO of The Madison Square Garden Company.

“Independent Sports and Entertainment will include the best and the brightest talent in the industry representing some of the top names in sports,” Burkle said, in a statement. “Hank is one of the most respected leaders in the business with a unique and broad portfolio of experience that perfectly positions him to transform ISE into a leading sports, media, entertainment and management company, providing the very best for our clients on and off the field.”

“I have great respect for Ron and am excited to partner with him, along with our first-class executive team in Mark, Fernando, Dan, Roosevelt and Doug, to build Independent Sports and Entertainment,” Ratner added. “I look forward to expanding upon our world-class sports management business, finding new strategic partnerships and investment opportunities to broaden our portfolio and help make ISE a global industry leader. We are focused on building a company that will create a platform for our clients to benefit through all stages of their careers.”

TiVo chairman Tom Rogers and Cablevision Systems vice chairman Hank Ratner have led a $3.4 million series A round in WinView, a company that is working toward the commercial debut of a free mobile app that enables users to win cash prizes by making situational predictions during live TV sporting events. 

In the case of football games, those “propositions” could include predicting the outcomes of individual plays, whether a running back will fumble the ball during the current quarter,  and if a challenged play will be upheld or overturned.

WinView said it  has raised $6.5 million total and that, as part of their investment, Rogers and Ratner have been appointed co-chairman of the WinView board of directors.

Rogers and Ratner are backing WinView amid big changes underway at their respective companies.

Rogers stepped down as CEO of TiVo to become non-executive chairman effective Feb. 1, 2016. TiVo is now in the process of merging with Rovi.  Ratner is also former CEO of The Madison Square Garden  Company. Ratner’s current company, Cablevision Systems, is in the process of being acquired by Altice Group.

WinView said the  proceeds of the investment will be used to complete development of the WinView Games app and time the launch with the start of the 2016 professional football season. It tested the app during the 2015-2016 football season.

According to the  WinView site, a tournament held during Super Bowl 50 offered a prize pool of $1,000 that paid out the top 10 winners, with first place coming away with $400.

WinView, which claims to have a portfolio of 26 “foundational” patents that enable the synchronization of its app with TV broadcasts and commercials, noted that it is based on an ad-supported  business model, and that all games covered by its service are produced via a live studio and producers that track select sporting events in real time.  Its app was by European firm Ex Machina Group and is based on that vendor’s “PlayToTV platform.”

"Completion of this financing led by industry notables Tom Rogers and Hank Ratner will help drive the development and growth of WinView Games,” WinView founder and CEO Dave Lockton said, in a statement. "Live sports is premium programming with a massive captive audience, and it is one of the last bastions to engage millennials. “Technology and market conditions are now converging and giving rise to position our app, which is uniquely synchronized with live TV, to be a huge mobile engagement and revenue generation opportunity for the networks, leagues and advertisers involved, especially those seeking the coveted young adult male audience.”

"Playing along on a second screen while watching TV sports live is all the rage in Europe, having reduced fantasy sports to also-ran status,” Rogers added. “Millions of people in the U.S. are already using a second screen, checking stats while they watch, which has set the stage for this next big leap in sports television, enabling the viewer, unlike fantasy, to play along in real time with the live game itself.”

“Both Tom and I were involved with Dave when he pioneered the second screen play-along with TV programming category at his earlier company, Interactive Network,” Ratner said. “Now, with our involvement combined with our relationships with all the constituents in the sports television industry, including the leagues and networks, the stage is set for WinView to take off and scale this fall by tapping into sports fans' inherent desire to engage with this next-generation TV sports entertainment experience."

WinView also announced that its board has been expanded to include investors Steve Goodroe, former VP of Global Customer Marketing of Procter & Gamble and CEO of Dunnhumby USA; and Bryan Jacoboski, managing partner of Abingdon Capital Management. In addition, John Costello, President Global Marketing and Innovation of Dunkin Brands, Inc. and Global Chairman of the Mobile Marketing Association, is joining the WinView advisory board.