In First Month, Underdog’s “The Arena” is #2 Most Watched Sports Show on YouTube, Behind Only McAfee

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BROOKLYN, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 8, 2025--

The Arena: Gridiron, a new YouTube show co-owned by former NBA star Gilbert Arenas and Underdog, today announced that in its first month of broadcasting the show is already the second most-watched sports show on YouTube, behind only The Pat McAfee Show. The Arena: Gridiron, co-hosted by sports columnist and commentator Skip Bayless and Arenas himself, hit more than 23 million views in September, according to data from media analytics company, Mondo Metrics.

The Arena: Gridiron was launched as part of a rebranding of Gilbert Arenas’ successful basketball-focused show, Gil’s Arena, the #1 basketball show on YouTube, to broaden its focus beyond basketball. With the rebrand and launch of The Arena: Gridiron, the show saw viewership nearly double (93% increase) in its first month.

“Gil’s Arena quickly became THE place for basketball dialogue, and The Arena: Gridiron is already one of the top football shows in the country,” said Liam Roecklein, SVP Content & Partnerships at Underdog. “At Underdog we innovate not only on product, but also with our modern sports content. This style of content - authentic, always on, fan-engaged, thoughtful but unfiltered – is where the best of modern sports media is going, and we’re taking it to the next level with The Arena: Gridiron.”

The breakdown on the top sports shows, according to Mondo Metrics, is as follows:

1. Pat McAfee Show - 26,946,283 views
2. The Arena - 23,184,133 views
3. First Things First Pod - 23,048,536 views
4. Nightcap - 22,631,644 views
5. Club Shay Shay - 15,109,681 views
6. Club 520 - 13,540,293 views
7. New Heights - 13,386,000 views
8. All The Smoke - 10,642,969 views
9. Pardon My Take - 9,193,035 views
10. Million Dollaz Worth of Game - 3,945,687 views

The Arena: Gridiron and Gil’s Arena are co-owned by Arenas and Underdog and air on the Underdog Network. Home to successful shows such as The Underdog Football Show, which also saw a significant increase (29.5%) in viewership in September, the Underdog Network represents an evolution in sports media. A hybrid of ESPN, Spotify, TikTok, and sports gaming, Underdog continually invests in its fan-first content ecosystem, featuring original shows, creator talent, and social engagement that transforms users into loyal communities.

Watch The Arena: Gridiron live on the Arena Gridiron YouTube channel and on the official Arena Gridiron X (Twitter) account on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays at 9:30 AM PT / 12:30 PM ET. To learn more about the shows on the Underdog Network, please visit: https://underdognetwork.com/.

About Underdog

Underdog, the fastest-growing sports company in the U.S., was founded in 2020 with the simple objective of making sports more fun. The company’s core operating principle: There’s so much more to be built for sports fans in America. As the only top-tier sports gaming operator in the country built on its own proprietary technology, Underdog has a unique ability to create new, engaging products for the U.S. consumer. Underdog’s products provide the best way to enjoy fun, approachable sports games. The company offers fantasy sports games, licensed sports betting, access to sports prediction markets and a growing media network featuring former professional athletes, coaches, analysts, and the fastest breaking news. Underdog is built for and by sports fans to make sports more fun. For more information, visit underdogfantasy.com.

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SOURCE: Underdog

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PUB: 10/08/2025 09:00 AM/DISC: 10/08/2025 08:59 AM

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