FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, November 5th, 2019

NBC SPORTS WASHINGTON TO PRESENT WEEKLY WIZARDS PREDICTIVE-GAMING EXPERIENCES THROUGHOUT 2019-20 NBA SEASON

FREE-TO-PLAY ‘PREDICT THE GAME’ CONTESTS TOTALING $2,000 IN PRIZES PER GAME – WITH $500 AT STAKE EACH QUARTER – HIGHLIGHT NBC SPORTS WASHINGTON PLUS COVERAGE

 SPECIAL HOSTS TO JOIN PRESENTATION AT KEY MOMENTS TO ENGAGE PARTICIPANTS AND DELIVER CONTEST UPDATES AND RESULTS 

20-GAME SCHEDULE BEGINS THIS WEDNESDAY, NOV. 6, AT 7 P.M. WHEN THE WIZARDS TIP OFF AGAINST THE PACERS IN INDIANA 

BETHESDA, Md. – Nov. 5, 2019 – NBC Sports Washington will present weekly Washington Wizards predictive-gaming experiences, highlighted by free-to-play Predict the Game contests totaling $2,000 in prizes each game, throughout the 2019-20 NBA regular season on NBC Sports Washington Plus. The 20-game schedule begins Thursday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m., when the Wizards travel to Indiana to face the Pacers.

The NBC Sports Washington Plus presentation will, for the first time, feature special hosts, who will appear at various times to address Predict the Game participants and provide contest updates, information and results. The enhanced experience will contain the majority of the same video and audio (including announcers) as the primary live-game coverage, which will be available simultaneously on NBC Sports Washington.

Predict the Game is a free contest that allows fans to predict various game and player performance outcomes during live Wizards games. Points will be awarded for making selections, with additional points awarded for correct predictions. The top eligible scorer at the end of each quarter will earn or share the $500 prize, with a new contest beginning each quarter, totaling four contests and $2,000 in prizes per game.

The Predict the Game questions, and up to five answer options, will be delivered on a graphic overlay surrounding the live-game coverage, as well as on users’ mobile or desktop devices. Real-time team and player statistics and sports-betting odds data – such as the spread, over-under and moving moneyline – will also be featured alongside the Predict the Game elements as part of the NBC Sports Washington Plus presentation.

Fans can enter Predict the Game, which is open to join throughout the entire game, by creating an account or logging in at www.nbcsportswashington.com/predict, where they can submit predictions via their mobile or desktop device. The platform includes several features that allow users to track their performance, highlighted by real-time points totals, confirmation of results for each question, and on-demand access to a live leaderboard.

“Our predictive-gaming experiments have proven effective in engaging fans and enhancing the already quality experience of live sports coverage, so we are excited to announce a 20-game schedule covering the Wizards with more gaming features integrated,” said NBC Sports Washington SVP and GM Damon Phillips. “It’s our priority to advance this product in meaningful ways, and to provide more opportunities for fans to participate.”

NBC Sports Washington developed and produced similar predictive-gaming presentations on an experimental basis covering eight Washington Wizards games during the 2018-19 NBA regular season, and four Washington Redskins games during the 2019 NFL preseason. This is the first time NBC Sports Washington is providing predictive-gaming presentations throughout a full season.

“We are proud of our partner NBC Sports Washington for raising their game when it comes to providing fans with even more ways to enjoy our teams’ live game broadcasts,” said Monumental Sports & Entertainment SVP of Strategic Initiatives Zachary Leonsis. “NBC Sports Washington’s expanded Predict the Game schedule reflects our joint leadership and investment in the emerging category of gamification, while also providing fans with a unique experience that leverages advanced statistics to enhance their knowledge and insights.”

The 20-game schedule of Wizards predictive-gaming presentations on NBC Sports Washington Plus: 

DAY      DATE        OPPONENT      TIME (ET)

Wed.     Nov. 6        at Indiana           7 p.m.

Wed.     Nov. 13      at Boston            7:30 p.m.

Fri.        Nov. 22      Charlotte            7 p.m.

Thu.      Dec. 5        Philadelphia       7 p.m.

Tue.      Dec. 10      at Charlotte        7 p.m.

Wed.     Dec. 18      Chicago              7 p.m.

Thu.      Dec. 26      at Detroit            7 p.m.

Wed.     Jan. 1        Orlando              6 p.m.

Mon.      Jan. 6        Boston                7 p.m.

Mon.      Jan. 20      Detroit                2 p.m.

Sun.      Jan. 26      at Atlanta            6 p.m.

Mon.      Feb. 3        Golden State      7 p.m.

Tue.      Feb. 11      Chicago              7 p.m.

Fri.        Feb. 21      Cleveland           7 p.m.

Wed.     Feb. 26      Brooklyn             7 p.m.

Tue.      Mar. 3        at Sacramento    10 p.m.

Tue.      Mar. 10      New York           7 p.m.

Wed.     Mar. 18      at Brooklyn         7:30 p.m.

Wed.     Mar. 25      Phoenix              7 p.m.

Wed.     Apr. 1        New Orleans      7 p.m.

 

NBC Sports Washington, part of NBC Sports Group, is the official sports network of the NHL’s Washington Capitals, NBA’s Washington Wizards, NFL’s Washington Redskins and ACC. NBC Sports Washington – the leading multiplatform sports media organization serving the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia – delivers more than 400 live events per year, along with Emmy Award-winning news, analysis and entertainment programming. NBC Sports Washington’s digital portfolio is the region’s top source for written, video and interactive sports content. Follow the network on Twitter via @NBCSWashington, and on NBCSportsWashington.com and the MyTeams app. 

-NBC SPORTS WASHINGTON-