With the NBA Playoffs tipping off Monday, interest in pro basketball figures to be at a peak for the next seven or eight weeks. So the timing of Rob Perez (known as @WorldWideWob on Twitter) starting a new gig with FanDuel seems ideal.
As reported by the Washington Post‘s Ben Strauss, Perez made the move (taking his 568,000 Twitter followers with him) after a two-year stint with Action Network as a senior NBA producer. He’s been an influential presence on #NBATwitter for years and if you’re a hardcore online fan of pro basketball, chances are you either follow Perez or his tweets (with videos, GIFs, and memes) pop up frequently on your timeline.
Perhaps you also watched his online show, Buckets, which he launched with Cycle and then collaborated with ESPN and co-host Cassidy Hubbarth.
According to Strauss, Perez plans to bring the nightly NBA show he produces for Periscope and add more production value to it with the resources available through FanDuel and SportsGrid.
Late Night with Wob: Playoff Preview https://t.co/JayevaGfbv
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) August 15, 2020
From The Washington Post:
“‘I have always had this vision of a late-night NBA show,’ he said. ‘Like [David] Letterman or [Jimmy] Fallon with a monologue and prerecorded skits. I do it on Periscope now, but it’s janky. I want to revolutionize the way it’s consumed, integrating comments from viewers with the production value of linear TV.'”
NBA-focused videos and social media might be the featured components of Perez’s new role with FanDuel, but he also has plenty of podcasting and writing at outlets like DraftKings, The Big Lead, Complex, and Fox Sports. Those skills, along with his on-camera background, figure to be utilized for the sports gambling platform’s website and mobile app, in addition to audio and video content for its partner SportsGrid.
Regardless, Perez’s interest and experience with sports betting should be an asset in attracting more users to FanDuel. Competition among betting platforms will only increase as more states allow sports gambling and established media outlets acknowledge a growing, legitimized side of sports fandom.
Getting an established personality like Perez should help stand out from the crowd.
About Ian Casselberry
Ian is a writer, editor, and podcaster. You can find his work at Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He's written for Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, MLive, Bleacher Report, and SB Nation.