Australian-based sportsbook PointsBet has been one of the most aggressive movers in the exploding US legal sports betting scene. But to become a serious player in the American market, they needed a partnership deal with the most bet-on league on US soil – the NFL.
Time had been running out on the sportsbook provider to get an agreement in place before the start of the upcoming NFL campaign, but the company beat the buzzer, becoming an approved sportsbook operator of the world’s preeminent sports betting league in the world last week.
Johnny Aitken, PointsBet USA CEO, said” “The PointsBet team is excited to become an Approved Sportsbook Operator of the NFL leading into the 2021/22 season, as the relationship will be a cornerstone for PointsBet to provide the fastest and most comprehensive in-play betting experience in the world.”
The Deal
The official sports betting partnership deal with the NFL brings the provider in line with a rash of other sportsbooks that depend on the NFL for the bulk of their monthly and yearly activity. The two DFS giants-turned sports betting provider behemoths and Caesars are in the “top-tier” of provider partnerships with PointsBet joining BetMGM, Fox Bet and WynnBET in the second tier.
PointsBet will gain immediate access to sponsorship and promotional opportunities through the throng of television networks and other digital channels that carry the NFL brand. That includes the immensely popular NFL.com and NFL Network. Along with the sponsorship deal comes valuable NFL data that is used by sportsbooks to not only enhance their own product but to better inform the customers they are servicing.
“Through our fixed-odds and unique PointsBetting platform, we seek to offer the most NFL pre-game betting options. This relationship now complements that pre-game offering with a heightened in-play experience as we continue to expand our national footprint on a more seamless and reliable app across every customer touchpoint,” said Johnny Aitken.
The NBC Sports Angle
PointsBet was lucky enough to sign on with NBC Spots at this time last year as official sports betting partner. NBC Sports provides the enormous reach (the largest sports audience of any US median company, accessing over 184 million viewers and 60 million digital active users) as well as year-round, multi-platform media and marketing opportunities for PointsBet on all NBC Sports’ highly successful and highly viewed media platforms. NBC is home to NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL teams, and it delivers more than 2,200 live sporting events every year.
NBC is also home to one of the NFL’s most widely viewed weekly NFL broadcasts – Sunday Night Football, which gives PointsBet almost unparalleled exposure starting September 12 when the first Sunday Night game is aired. “As part of the agreement, NBC Sports provides PointsBet with year-round, multi-platform media and marketing opportunities across its unmatched portfolio of events, including exclusive multi-platform game-day integrations across NBC Sports Regional Networks,” the company said.
PointsBet this summer signed Drew Brees as brand ambassador to bolster their NFL credibility. The NFL legend is slated to become an in-studio analyst for the Sunday Night NFL broadcast with an eye on color analyst duties for the weekly Sunday Night game starting in the 2022 season.
PointsBet on the Move
PointsBet continues their ascension up the US legal sports betting provider ladder. The NFL looks like just another, yet necessary notch in their belt. Their success in the market was revealed in their fiscal year report that ended June 30. The company generated $518 million over the 365-day period, which ranks among the top producers in the US scene.
PointsBet launched in their seventh jurisdiction, West Virginia, earlier this month to add to their strong presence in New Jersey, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Colorado, and Michigan. Launching in Canada looks to be on the table for PointsBet, as well as Arizona in the coming weeks. PointsBet is a true heavy hitter in the US market right now. The NFL deal only cements their place as one of the elite sports betting providers on American soil and makes them official sportsbook partner of every major North American sports league.
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