The NFL has partnered with DraftKings on a new multi-year deal that will see the two collaborate on content and daily fantasy games.
As part of this agreement, DraftKings becomes the league’s first official daily fantasy partner, though its rights are non-exclusive, which leaves room for competing fantasy brands. NFL branding will appear across DraftKings’ suite of daily fantasy products and content platforms. The two will also collaborate on content and product offerings for fan engagement that will be applicable to users of the DraftKings DFS app and have integrations across NFL Media properties.
The DraftKings-NFL partnership excludes any promotional rights for sports betting, even though DraftKings operates a mobile sportsbook in New Jersey that enables fans to place bets from inside MetLife Stadium, home to the Jets and Giants. Both DraftKings and its rival, FanDuel, have burgeoning sportsbooks thanks to substantial investment from gaming operators. FanDuel announced an official partnership with the NHL last November that includes both fantasy and sports betting.
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In January, after eschewing sports betting for decades, the NFL announced Caesars Entertainment as its first official casino sponsor. Commissioner Roger Goodell shifted his stance on legal gambling once the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a federal ban on wagering in May 2018. However, Goodell has long been a supporter of fantasy sports, and league execs have touted fantasy football’s popularity for bringing more people into the game.
“Daily fantasy football has been a tremendous vehicle for fans of all types to deepen their engagement with the NFL,” said Renie Anderson, the NFL’s chief revenue officer, in a joint statement with DraftKings.
The NFL and DraftKings said their goal is to “further enhance the customer experience around the sport that has proven to be by far the most popular, both domestically and abroad.” DraftKings has more than 11 million fantasy football players around the world, with nearly 90% of all DraftKings customers having played in an NFL daily fantasy contest.
DraftKings CEO Jason Robins called the NFL partnership a “defining moment in the industry” and discussions with the league showed that they share a “common vision around the future of fan engagement.”
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