With NFL season just around the corner, the league has more than enough partners in sports betting with the addition of BetMGM, PointsBet and WynnBET, which have joined FOX Bet as second-tier authorized operators.
DraftKings, FanDuel and Caesars are in the first tier, with five-year deals each. There may be other partners coming before football season begins in September.
The latest partnerships centers on data and advertising. The operators purchase official league data from NFL partner Genius Sports and will be able to advertise on TV around NFL games, according to Sportico.
All operators in second tier have other ties to the league. WynnBET has a partnership with the Detroit Lions, while BetMGM has more than a half dozen team deals, including the New York Jets, Las Vegas Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Baltimore Ravens. The company is also building a sportsbook in the stadium for the Arizona Cardinals.
In related news, Caesars Entertainment will become the official casino partner of the Houston Texans beginning just prior to the kick-off of the NFL season, according to CDC Gaming Reports.
“I’m thrilled to launch this multi-year partnership with Caesars Entertainment,” said Texans President Greg Grissom in a statement. “It aligns perfectly with our commitment to creating memorable experiences for our fans. We have some great events lined up for this upcoming season that fans will not want to miss, and this partnership with Caesars is just another example of how we continue to look for ways to enhance the experience.”
The agreement includes a Schedule Pick ‘Em game that will be available on the Texans’ mobile app. Sponsored by Caesars Rewards, the game allows fans to make game predictions and win prizes including gameday tickets and a trip to a Caesars Entertainment property.
Each game will reward one season ticket holder with a trip to Las Vegas.
“We look forward to creating extraordinary experiences for Texans fans by doing what we do best, leveraging Caesars Entertainment’s vast portfolio of casino, hospitality, entertainment, and sports expertise,” said Caesars Digital Co-President Chris Holdren in a statement.
And in yet another deal, the Baltimore Ravens and DraftKings Inc. last week announced a new deal designating DraftKings as the official daily fantasy sports partner and an official sports betting and free-to-play partner of the football team.
It’s DraftKing’s first such partnership in the state of Maryland and its fifth active strategic agreement with an NFL team.
“With the start of the 2021 NFL season upon us, our latest designation with the Baltimore Ravens further exemplifies our commitment to fan engagement by way of the DraftKings experience,” said Ezra Kucharz, DraftKings’ chief business officer. “The newly penned relationship offers something for every kind of sports fan and will allow them to engage with DraftKings’ digital content, free-to-play product, daily fantasy sports and, perhaps soon, sports betting, to ultimately bring them closer to the action alongside one of the top teams from the AFC North.”
The new deal will feature DraftKings branding and custom content as part of the Baltimore Ravens’ weekly podcast, “The Lounge.” Expanding further into multi-media platforms, DraftKings will also be named the title sponsor of Baltimore WBAL-1090 News Radio’s Gameday Insider pregame show and a presenting sponsor of the Ravens Wired video online content series, in addition to homepage takeovers on BaltimoreRavens.com, ahead of select games and events.
“This partnership reflects our continued commitment to delivering unique engagement experiences for our fans,” said Ravens Chief Sales Officer Kevin Rochlitz. “We’re proud to collaborate with an industry leader in DraftKings, and we look forward to seeing the innovative ways in which we’ll better connect with the Ravens fans across our many platforms.”
As part of the collaboration, DraftKings branding will be visible throughout M&T Bank Stadium. Additionally, the new deal offers exclusive gameday experiences, including away game trips, autographed merchandise, a Punt, Pass & Kick (PPK) event available to DraftKings customers through in-season daily fantasy and sportsbook contests, and a DraftKings-NFL Official Free-to-Play game.
