Boston-based daily fantasy sports contest and sports betting operator DraftKings (Nasdaq: DKNG) and NYC-headquartered sports betting company FanDuel have both entered into partnerships with Turner Sports, a division of AT&T Inc.’s WarnerMedia.
Under the terms of the multi-year agreements, DraftKings will serve as the exclusive sportsbook and daily fantasy sports provider on select Turner Sports and Bleacher Report properties, while FanDuel will be its [Turner’s] exclusive sportsbook partner for NBA programming.
Content provision:
Excluding National Basketball Association (NBA) programming, the deal with DraftKings will see it provide sports betting information and daily fantasy sports content across Turner Sports telecasts and Bleacher Report digital channels, to include the sports news site’s new (B/R) app, available for download on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Included in the planned integrations are custom content segments, DraftKings’ betting odds and daily fantasy statistics, original content, personalized automated alerts and editorial on Bleacher Report channels.
Product reach:
Chief Business Officer for DraftKings, Ezra Kucharz commented on the new partnership in a statement in the official press release…
“Regulated betting is quickly becoming a fixture of modern sports entertainment, and this collaboration with Turner Sports further scales the reach of our products and content to engage fans.
“Turner Sports platforms provide exceptional content as they continually captivate sports audiences. Their medium aligns with the DraftKings’ brand and we look forward to delivering a seamless experience for readers and viewers while also broadening our visibility.”
In addition to Bleacher Report and its B/R Live streaming service, Turner Sports also operates the digital media outlets for the National Basketball Association, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and golf’s PGA Tour.
For its part, Turner Sports’ Executive Vice President, Sports Partnerships and Branded Content, Will Funk said…
“While this emerging industry continues to evolve, sports betting helps to drive engagement, increased time spent viewing and audience scale.
“This alliance enhances Turner Sports’ content with betting information that our hyper-engaged, highly interactive viewers demand, while driving customer engagement and acquisition for DraftKings.”
DraftKings’ stock offering:
In addition to becoming the official fantasy sports partner and official sports betting partner of the National Football League’s (NFL) Philadelphia Eagles earlier this month, DraftKings announced it is set to raise a further $600m from a new share placement, with 32 million new shares to be made available at a public offering price of $52.00 per share for a total offering size of $1.66 billion. The Massachusetts company reportedly intends to use the net proceeds received from the offering for general corporate purposes.
At market close on Thursday, Oct. 15 DraftKings shares fell 5.38 percent to $45, after its Oct. 2 peak of $64.15.
FanDuel deal:
Meanwhile, building on a partnership that began during the 2020 NBA Playoffs, Turner Sports announced Thursday that DraftKings’ competition, FanDuel, will be its exclusive sportsbook partner for NBA programming. The deal grants it access to exclusive integrations within NBA content, including Bleacher Report digital channels and the B/R app, and TNT live telecasts.
In a company press release, Chief Marketing Officer for FanDuel, Mike Raffensperger, said…
“Together, FanDuel and Turner Sports are bringing viewership to the next level by offering exclusive sports betting content that’s directly integrated into their NBA programming. We’ll be incorporating FanDuel Sportsbook odds and analysis into Turner Sport’s live broadcasts and Bleacher Report’s digital content, offering a new enhanced experience for NBA fans.”