NBC Sports Washington Offers Prize for Picking NFL Games

Riding the new wave in gambling programming, NBC Sports Washington and the NFL’s team in D.C. are teaming up to create the league’s first interactive presentation of pre-season games that will let viewers pick the winner of the game and win $1,000 in cash.

The Predict the Game telecasts will feature free-to-play contests in each quarter with the $1,000 prize. There will also be second-chance prizes.

The presentation will be available on NBC Sports Washington Plus starting Thursday when Washington plays the Cleveland Browns.

Fan Duel is a sponsor of the presentation.

"We are committed to delivering the most engaging experience possible to fans, so the opportunity to partner with the Redskins to combine live NFL action with predictive gaming this preseason is something we are very excited about," said Damon Phillips, NBC Sports Washington senior VP and general manager.

NBC Sports Washington says Predict the Game is an easy-to-enter, free contest that allows fans to predict various game and player performance outcomes through a series of questions that will appear on screen, as well as on users’ mobile or desktop devices.

Points will be awarded for making selections, with additional points awarded for correct predictions. A top eligible scorer at the end of each quarter will earn or share the $1,000 prize, with a new game beginning each quarter. Randomly selected participants will also be eligible to receive other outstanding 2nd chance prizes such as game tickets, VIP experiences and memorabilia.

The enhanced experience on NBC Sports Washington Plus will feature Predict the Game elements and other interactive features, combined with real-time statistics and information, displayed on a graphic overlay surrounding the game telecast, the channel said.

The full audio, video and graphics from the regular live-game coverage, which will be available simultaneously on NBC Sports Washington, will be included in the alternate presentation.

"We're thrilled to partner with NBC Sports Washington to bring the first predictive, free-to-play live game telecast to the NFL," said Scott Shepherd, senior VP for the football team. "This partnership strategically aligns with our organization’s commitment to constant innovation for our fans. We are continuously working to enhance the fan experience and strive to identify new, meaningful ways for our incredible fans to engage with our team."

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.