New SmartRadio Service Lets Sports Fans Gamble by Voice While Driving
A new voice app called SmartRadio is offering drivers a hands-free way to bet on sports while on the road. Car audio tech platform ConnectedTravel partnered with Radioline audio content developer and sports betting tech startup Simplebet to produce SmartRadio, which combines listening to sports games with interactive betting opportunities via Google’s Android Automotive operating system.
SmartRadio
SmartRadio plays radio stations covering sports games like a standard radio or streaming service but allows the listener to interrupt to take part in free-to-play betting. Simplebet’s automated micro-betting platform handles the gambling on NFL, MLB, NBA, college football and basketball games. The bets can be for every single at-bat in a baseball game, with the winner earning points that can later be redeemed from goods online. There are also prizes for winning streaks and scores can be compared among a group of friends. The idea is to gamify the experience of listening to audio events like sports games, as well as draw attention to sponsors and their products.ConnectedTravel is embedding SmartRadio into Radioline’s app for Android’s mobile phone-powered and built-in car operating systems, as well as Apple CarPlay Applications.
“The integration of emerging technologies like Voice, Payments, and eCommerce in vehicles, unlocks drive time empowering drivers to instantly and safely interact with audio programming,” ConnectedTravel CEO Bryan Biniak said. Drivers can play with and buy what they hear, and engage at the moments they are most inspired. Making radio transactable will inspire a new generation of innovative in-vehicle infotainment, and measurably open the $40 billion global broadcast radio marketplace for growth.”
Car Voice Commerce
ConnectedTravel was founded in 2016 to develop voice commerce in cars. Combining the two has become more popular in recent years, as evidenced by the ways drivers can buy parking and fuel by voice. Both voice commerce and the use of voice assistants in cars are on the rise, according to Voicebot’s research, with 45 million U.S. adults engaging in some voice shopping in 2021 and in0car voice assistant users growing to 127 million in the U.S. Linking the commerce to gambling and sports entertainment makes sense as a way to engage those who might not be regular participants in either aspect, especially as the sports gambling market in the U.S. doubled to $52.7 billion last year. The group behind SmartRadio focuses on the idea of it as a family and friends activity, but a bit of competition by gambling will likely be very appealing to the many listening to sports while they drive.
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