NFL Inks Trio of Landmark Sports Betting Partnership Agreements

The NFL isn’t just one of the most-watched sports leagues in the world. It is also a multi-billion-dollar business. Because it is so highly sought after, the NFL has no trouble at all attracting sponsors from every imaginable sector. 

From international banking partners to big brands in the alcohol business, the NFL’s list of partners runs the gamut. Most recently, Caesars signed a trio of partnerships with Caesars Entertainment which also owns William Hill, FanDuel, as well as DraftKings; the 3 topmost sportsbook operators in the country right now.

The three sportsbooks will become the NFL’s first-ever sports betting partners after years of resisting the legalization of sports betting in the country. As a result of these partnerships, sportsbooks now have ample opportunity to engage NFL fans in a fair and transparent environment. This deal will give the 3 sportsbooks the right to incorporate relevant sports wagering content directly into NFL’s websites including the app, as well as the website, NFL.com.

DraftKings as well as FanDuel will improve the fan experience considerably by offering NFL highlights, footage as well as data or next-gen stats content. Caesars alternatively will collaborate with the NFL to incorporate content into the NFL’s website while still retaining its title as the official casino partner of the NFL.

To ensure that integrity is maintained throughout the relationships with these sportsbooks, all the partners have agreed to adhere to established sets of rules. For instance, the 3 are required to work closely with the NFL regarding intelligence sharing. All the 3 sportsbooks will also work hand in hand with the league to ensure that responsible gambling is maintained across the board.

These deals will also go a long way in helping to accelerate the growth of sports betting in the country even further. The NFL’s partnership with these 3 sportsbooks will help to grow in-game betting, which has been trying to take off for a while now.

Apart from this new partnership with the sportsbooks, the NFL also signed a wagering data partnership with Genius Sports. London-based data and technology firm Genius Sports will provide punters with stats and play-by-play information and would be taking over this responsibility from Genius Sports.

This partnership effectively made Genius the NFL’s official data provider. The sports wagering data feeds that Genius will provide will be distributed to media companies as well as an array of sports wagering firms domestically and internationally. The NFL will also benefit from Genius’ integrity service that will help to monitor wagering around NFL games. 

The league is still strategizing its approach to this new world of partnerships with sportsbooks. However, maintaining the integrity of the sports has always been of the utmost importance. This new data partnership between the NFL and Genius came hot on the heels of its new long-term domestic broadcast right agreement with a series of partners. These partners include Amazon, CBS, Fox, ESPN/ABD, as well as NBC.

This isn’t Caesars’ first interaction with the NFL

Last year, the NFL broke ground when it signed a deal with Caesars Entertainment for the first time worth an estimated $30 million. In doing so, the NFL broke its long-standing love-hate relationship with casinos and gambling in general. Much of the partnership with Caesars is based on the casino resort’s huge role in the entertainment and hospitality sector. 

Thanks to this partnership, NFL fans can now access experiences such as hotel stays and tickets to various events held by the Caesars brand. Caesars, on the other hand, will benefit by offering NFL fans ticket packages that will then drive revenue for the hotelier. The fact that Caesars and the NFL inked a deal that would have been impossible 5 years ago signaled a gradual acceptance of gambling. As more and more states continued to decriminalize sports betting, there is no way the NFL could continue to ignore the force of American sportsbooks.

As a result, the NFL has been on a tirade gathering sponsorship deals from every corner of the world. For instance, it inked a partnership with 888sporst to become the official sports betting partner of the league in the UK, as well as Ireland. The league also partnered up with the Super Bowl and the NFL London Games for the 2021-22 season.

Even though the NFL has increased its sponsorship with sportsbooks, there are limitations in place to govern the scope of the relationship. For instance, actual wagering is not allowed within the stadiums. However, the league can set up betting lounges that can teach NFL fans about the various ways they can wager on the sport.

Strict rules also have to be followed regarding the use of sponsors’ logos and other signage. Finally, sportsbooks cannot be given any naming rights to any NFL stadiums as this would simply generate too much attention on sports gambling.

It’s not just the NFL that is inking deals with some of the biggest leagues in sports. The NBA, MLB, as well as the NHL all, have sports betting partnerships with big-name sportsbooks. For instance, the NBA has partnerships with MGM Resorts, William Hill, FanDuel, and Fox Bet. The NHL, on the other hand, has partnerships with FanDuel, SportsRadar, and William Hill. Lastly, MLB has partnerships with FoxBet, MGM, DraftKings, and FanDuel.

Final Thoughts

The way football fans consume their favorite sport has changed considerably over the last couple of years. Thanks to collaborations such as these, sports betting will continue to advance. And football fans, as well as lovers of betting are the ones that will benefit the most.

Such forward-thinking collaborations will also help to expand the NFL and open the league up to punters that would otherwise never have become fans of football. With sports betting expanding rapidly throughout the country, sports leagues like the NFL can no longer ignore sports betting. When sportsbooks and leagues combine, it will only help to take the already powerful and enhanced fan experience that we have today to the next level.