Dive Brief:
- DraftKings and NBCUniversal (NBCU) announced a multiyear advertising deal granting the sports betting platform exclusive integrations and digital sponsorships across NBCU’s top-tier sports properties, according to details shared with Marketing Dive.
- The agreement will see DraftKings featured across NBCU’s portfolio of sports properties including the NFL and NBA, and during tentpole events including Super Bowl LX, NBA All-Star Weekend and the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup on the Telemundo TV network.
- DraftKings also has exclusive rights to receive integrations and purchase digital sponsorships in a number of categories. The deal will help expand the betting platform’s reach year-round and arrives as consumer interest in sports betting continues to grow.
Dive Insight:
DraftKings is strengthening its foothold in sports broadcasting through its partnership with NBCU, a move that could redefine how betting platforms and broadcasters work together to boost their reach and revenue. The tie-up comes on the heels of a banner year for NBC Sports, which delivered its most-watched year since 2016 in 2024.
Through the deal, DraftKings will be featured across NBCU properties including the NFL, PGA Tour, Ryder Cup golf competition, Premier League, NCAA football and basketball, NBA, WNBA and more. The platform will also have a presence at major events including the Super Bowl, which in its most recent iteration achieved its largest viewership to date, according to Nielsen. FanDuel, which is the largest U.S. sportsbook by market share, reported that wagering on the 2024 Super Bowl peaked at nearly 70,000 bets per minute.
With the deal, DraftKings also has exclusive rights to receive integrations and purchase digital sponsorships in a number of categories, including online sports betting, online lottery products, daily fantasy sports, iGaming and online horse wagering categories. The partnership additionally will foster opportunities for DraftKings to work with NBCU talent to help the platform develop immersive entertainment experiences. The deal spans NBCU’s linear, streaming and digital ecosystems and marks one of DraftKings’ largest multiplatform agreements to date, per release details.
The partnership arrives as interest in sports betting continues to grow, with Americans having bet nearly $150 billion on sports in 2024. Revenue within the sports betting industry is expected to top $17 billion this year. Sports betting, which became possible in May 2018, is now legalized in 38 states, along with the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Beyond FanDuel, other sportsbooks and competitors to DraftKings include BetMGM, ESPN Bet and Fanatics, however, DraftKings and FanDuel currently command over 70% market share.
Beyond its deal, DraftKings has been an active marketer. In March, the sportsbook launched a multimillion-dollar responsible gaming campaign that riffed on Kenny Rogers’ classic tune “The Gambler.” Prior, the platform utilized a new ad format for connected TV from ad-tech company Perion that dynamically integrates brand ads into live events.
