The National Football League has been giving a lot of mixed signals when it comes to sports betting in the United States. Now, things have changed significantly since the country’s Supreme Court lifted the federal ban on sports betting in May last year. The NFL has since accepted the inevitability of the sports betting sector and has instead chosen to capitalize on its in various ways. However, the moves to ensure this have been very calculated. Recently, the NFL has signed renowned daily fantasy sports provider DraftKings as its official DFS partner.
Needless to say, for some time now daily fantasy sports partnerships have been sidelined to a given extent especially now that more and more states are legalizing and regulating sports betting. Besides, even the leading daily fantasy sports companies are slowly extending their portfolio by adding options for betting on real teams and sporting events. The new deal between DraftKings and NFL has therefore been a refreshing move that has put the DFS industry back in the limelight.
What the Deal Entails
The landmark multi-year partnership between the NFL and DraftKings was announced in a joint press release. As per the terms of the deal, DraftKings will now be entitled to the NFL’s exclusive sponsorship in the DFS category. In addition to that, the daily fantasy sports provider will have access to NFL branding across both gaming and content platforms.
Both parties will also be collaborating on content as well as product offerings for fan engagement. These will be applicable to customers who use the DraftKings DFS app with more integrations available across the NFL’s media properties. The goal is to enhance the customers’ experience around the sport which is played by people from all over the world.
“Daily fantasy football has been a tremendous vehicle for fans of all types to deepen their engagement with the NFL. We’re thrilled to partner with DraftKings, a clear leader in the daily fantasy space, as they continue to innovate and provide our millions of fans additional ways to interact with and enjoy the NFL,” Renie Anderson, Chief Revenue Officer and Executive Vice President of NFL Partnerships, said.
As mentioned earlier, DraftKings also has its sights set on the United States sports betting market. In fact, it already operates a mobile sportsbook in New Jersey. However, the NFL is still shying away from direct sports betting partnerships which means that the deal between the two excludes any promotional rights for sports betting.
The NFL aside, DraftKings has been partnering with companies and teams across multiple sports, several stadiums, and even arenas. This is definitely a great way to advances its expansion efforts across the country.
