FanDuel, DraftKings Expand Their Partnerships With the NBA

FanDuel and DraftKings are two of the most well-known brands in sports betting and daily fantasy. Both are sports betting partners with the NBA. On Thursday, the two companies announced they are expanding on their partnerships with the league.

Both FanDuel and DraftKings announced new multiyear deals with the NBA, giving them expanded marketing, content and digital rights to integrate NBA assets into sports betting, daily fantasy sports and online casino platforms.

“DraftKings has demonstrated a clear commitment to strategically investing at the intersection of betting and content,” Scott Kaufman-Ross, Senior Vice President, Head of Gaming & New Business Ventures, NBA, said in a media release. “We are excited to be expanding our relationship to include content initiatives like NBABet Stream to engage NBA fans in unique ways.”

FanDuel also has a multiyear partnership with the NBA Players Association, giving the sports betting operator rights to feature active NBA player imagery in its creative content and within highlights distributed across FanDuel’s branded platforms, apps, social media and broadcast channels.

“FanDuel’s partnership with the NBA has been a cornerstone of our success for many years, and together we have revolutionized what is possible in a partnership between a professional sports league and a sports gaming operator,” FanDuel Group President & CEO Amy Howe said. “As we move into the next phase of our relationship to include the NBPA, we are excited to once again reimagine how we engage basketball fans.”

DraftKings and the NBA

DraftKings Sportsbook and the NBA began their partnership in 2019 when the DraftKings became an authorized gaming operator of the league. Since then, the organizations have collaborated to bring fan-first content and product experiences to their customers.

This new deal will put DraftKings as a presenting sponsor of NBABet Stream, the league’s sports wagering-focused telecast that is shown on NBA League Pass and the NBA TV app. The weekly alternative betting show will include DraftKings odds, lines, props and other forms of gaming content that will be integrated into the live-game experience.

“The NBA season only just tipped off, and yet we have already seen the immediate impact of the sport among our customer base with significant re-engagement along with healthy new betting activity across all of our states,” DraftKings Chief Business Officer Ezra Kucharz said in a media release. “All of this signals the rising demand for NBA basketball in its 75th anniversary season among sports bettors and daily fantasy players, and we are pleased to continuously collaborate with the league on new fan-centric platforms like our NBABet Stream integration.”

DraftKings will also have the right to be featured at major NBA events such as the NBA All-Star Game, Rising Stars, NBA All-Star Saturday Night and the NBA Draft.

FanDuel and the NBA

FanDuel’s new agreement with the NBA means the company will have worked with the league for more than a decade. Previously, FanDuel was an official daily fantasy partner and an authorized gaming operator of the NBA.

“Throughout our seven-year partnership, we have consistently worked with FanDuel to innovate together around the fan experience,” Scott Kaufman-Ross, NBA Senior Vice President, Head of Gaming & New Business Ventures, said in a media release. “This expanded relationship marks the latest chapter of our story, and we look forward to leveraging these new initiatives to continue to engage fans in new ways.”

FanDuel will also be a partner of the weekly NBABet show, co-produced by Turner Sports each Monday on NBA TV. Fans will have the option to select FanDuel odds to be displayed on the games page of NBA.com.

As part of the new agreement, FanDuel will have the ability to create and promote its online casino game with NBA marks and logos, further expanding its footprint in the online casinos market.

"We are excited to partner with FanDuel to bring more opportunities for our players to engage with new communities of fans and to create unmissable moments and collaborations in basketball culture,” Que Gaskins, interim President of THINK450, the partnership and innovation engine of the NBPA, said in a media release.