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Sinclair Rebrands Sports Networks With Bally Name
- Deal includes marketing spending and a naming-rights fee
- CEO says revenue from gaming could exceed traditional ads
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Fifteen months after completing its acquisition of the 21 Fox regional sports networks, Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. has signed a deal to rename them using the Bally casino brand, a sign of just how intertwined betting has become with sports.
The deal with Providence, Rhode Island-based Bally’s Corp. includes use of its brand in promotions on Sinclair’s 190 broadcast-TV stations, the Tennis Channel and its sports streaming service, called Stadium. In return, Sinclair will receive a naming-rights fee, shares in Bally’s and an agreement by the company to spend a percentage of its interactive advertising budget on Sinclair outlets, according to a statement released by the companies Wednesday.