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Major League Baseball (MLB) has announced US gambling firm FanDuel as a co-exclusive official sports betting partner in a multi-year deal.
Contract:
- FanDuel able to use official MLB branding and category designations in its products and marketing campaigns
- Company to stream MLB.TV’s ‘Free Game of the Day’ through its sportsbook app and on the over-the-top (OTT) platform FanDuel+
- FanDuel able to use MLB highlights in product and as part of original programming on FanDuel TV
- Pair to collaborate on projects for other sponsor partners of FanDuel and MLB platforms, as well as work together to bring consumers new sports betting product innovations
Context:
The deal adds to FanDuel’s extensive US sports sponsorship roster, which includes the National Football League (NFL), the National Basketball Association (NBA), the National Hockey League (NHL), the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and golf’s PGA Tour. Prior to this latest pact, FanDuel has worked with MLB as an authorised gaming operator of the league since 2019.
For MLB, it has secured its latest tie-up with a betting brand, having expanded its deal with DraftKings in 2021 to include the live streaming of games on the sports betting and daily fantasy giant’s app.
Comment:
“As one of the top sportsbooks in America, FanDuel has been an industry leader in innovative fan engagement opportunities while also reminding them of the importance of doing it responsibly,” said Kenny Gersh, MLB executive vice president, media and business development.
“These key priorities of unique fan engagement and responsible gambling align with our focus from the league level and make FanDuel a natural partner to collaborate with as an official sports betting partner.”
Coming next:
The MLB’s 2023 season begins at the end of this month, with the league closely monitoring the financial struggles of regional sports networks (RSNs). It recently created a local media department in preparation for the possibility of taking back local broadcast rights.
