If you live in a state with legal sports betting, you are no doubt well aware of the many sponsorship deals that teams have with individual sportsbooks. How could you not be? ments for sportsbooks are EVERYWHERE in states with legal sports betting. Even those in states with more limited sports betting opportunities or states where it is not legal yet see plenty of sportsbook advertising on national TV broadcasts. 91h4x
Every major sport has sportsbook partnerships, and that includes branding and television advertising. It’s a new world, and sportsbooks are spending millions of dollars trying to get their product noticed by as many people as possible.
Sportsbook Partnerships With Professional Sports Teams 5d2f2b
Partnering with sportsbooks has been a significant new source of revenue for our country’s professional sports teams and leagues (MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, and PGA Tour). Sportsbooks entering new states are eager to market to a broad base of fans and look to the local sports teams as a sure-fire way to reach and engage with a large population of potential customers.
This symbiotic relationship has led to a proliferation of sportsbook partnerships, led by the four Philadelphia teams and the New Jersey Devils, which have capitalized on their location in the two states (Pennsylvania) with the largest concentration of sports bettors.
Teams in other large markets, such as Colorado, have utilized these partnerships to their advantage. Check them out below:
Sportsbook | Professional Sports Team | League |
---|---|---|
Bally Bet | Phoenix Mercury | WNBA |
Cleveland Browns | NFL | |
New York Yankees | MLB | |
bet365 | San Antonio Spurs | NBA |
Colorado Rockies | MLB | |
Charlotte Hornets | NBA | |
STL Cardinals | MLB | |
Cleveland Guardians | MLB | |
Betfred | Colorado Rockies | MLB |
Denver Broncos | NFL | |
BetMGM | Boston Red Sox | MLB |
Detroit Tigers | MLB | |
Washington Nationals | MLB | |
Houston Astros | MLB | |
Cincinnati Reds | MLB | |
Pittsburgh Pirates | MLB | |
Richard Childress Racing | Nascar | |
Philadelphia 76ers | NBA | |
Arizona Cardinals | NFL | |
Baltimore Ravens | NFL | |
Denver Broncos | NFL | |
Detroit Lions | NFL | |
Kansas City Chiefs | NFL | |
Las Vegas Raiders | NFL | |
New York Jets | NFL | |
Pittsburgh Steelers | NFL | |
Tennessee Titans | NFL | |
BetRivers | Detroit Pistons | NBA |
Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | |
Chicago Bears | NFL | |
Betway | Chicago Bulls | NBA |
Cleveland Cavaliers | NBA | |
Dallas Mavericks | NBA | |
Golden State Warriors | NBA | |
Los Angeles Clippers | NBA | |
Miami Heat | NBA | |
Milwaukee Bucks | NBA | |
Minnesota Timberwolves | NBA | |
Philadelphia 76ers | NBA | |
New Jersey Devils | NHL | |
Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | |
Caesars Sportsbook | Arizona Diamondbacks | MLB |
Chicago White Sox | MLB | |
New York Mets | MLB | |
Cleveland Cavaliers | NBA | |
New York Knicks | NBA | |
Washington Wizards | NBA | |
Memphis Grizzlies | NBA | |
Baltimore Ravens | NFL | |
Buffalo Bills | NFL | |
Houston Texans | NFL | |
Indianapolis Colts | NFL | |
Las Vegas Raiders | NFL | |
New Orleans Saints | NFL | |
Philadelphia Eagles | NFL | |
New Jersey Devils | NHL | |
Washington Capitals | NHL | |
Washington Mystics | WNBA | |
Circa Sports | Las Vegas A's (once they relocate from Oakland) | MLB |
DraftKings Sportsbook | Boston Red Sox | MLB |
Chicago Cubs | MLB | |
Cleveland Guardians | MLB | |
Colorado Rockies | MLB | |
23XI Racing | Nascar | |
Detroit Pistons | NBA | |
Boston Celtics | NBA | |
Houston Rockets | NBA | |
Indiana Pacers | NBA | |
New York Knicks | NBA | |
Baltimore Ravens | NFL | |
New England Patriots | NFL | |
New York Giants | NFL | |
Pittsburgh Steelers | NFL | |
Boston Bruins | NHL | |
Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | |
Colorado Avalanche | NHL | |
Detroit Red Wings | NHL | |
Los Angeles Kings | NHL | |
New York Rangers | NHL | |
Fanatics Sportsbook | Columbus Blue Jackets | NHL |
Cleveland Guardians | MLB | |
Washington Commanders | NFL | |
Colorado Avalanche |
NHL | |
Denver Nuggets | NBA | |
FanDuel Sportsbook | DC United | MLS |
Brooklyn Nets | NBA | |
Memphis Grizzlies | NBA | |
Detroit Pistons | NBA | |
New Orleans Pelicans | NBA | |
Phoenix Suns | NBA | |
Chicago Bulls | NBA | |
Toronto Raptors | NBA | |
Philadelphia Eagles | NFL | |
Buffalo Bills | NFL | |
Denver Broncos | NFL | |
Indianapolis Colts | NFL | |
New York Jets | NFL | |
Washington Commanders | NFL | |
Cleveland Browns | NFL | |
Boston Bruins | NHL | |
New Jersey Devils | NHL | |
Buffalo Sabres | NHL | |
Detroit Red Wings | NHL | |
Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | |
New York Liberty | WNBA | |
Connecticut Sun | WNBA | |
Carolina Panthers | NFL | |
Hard Rock | Miami Dolphins | NFL |
Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | |
Jacksonville Jaguars | NFL | |
PrizePicks | Atlanta United | MLS |
Atlanta Braves | MLB | |
Dallas Stars | NHL | |
Sahara Bets | Arizona Coyotes | NHL |
SuperBook Sports | FC Cincinnati | MLS |
Baltimore Orioles | MLB | |
Underdog Sports | Cincinnati Reds | MLB |
Wagr | Nashville SC | MLS |
WynnBET | Cincinnati Reds | MLB |
Colorado Rockies | MLB | |
Detroit Pistons | NBA | |
Memphis Grizzlies | NBA | |
Detroit Lions | NFL | |
Las Vegas Raiders | NFL | |
New York Jets | NFL |
bet365 Missouri Partners With STL Cardinals 3w5t3u
bet365 MO has partnered with the St. Louis Cardinals! This is an exciting multi-year partnership between the MLB and bet365, which is considered one of the best sports betting brands worldwide. Partnerships amongst popular teams/venues and sports betting partners are often required for the betting license to get approved, and this one comes highly anticipated.
Legal sportsbooks are not expected to launch in the state until later this year, but MO s can still the app ahead of the go-live date. Expect all of the usual sports betting features, plus exclusive perks only available at Busch Stadium. Stay tuned for more!
Professional Sports Leagues’ Official Sportsbook Partners 3pv2n
NFL announced what it is calling its first U.S. sportsbook partnerships with Caesars Entertainment, DraftKings and FanDuel. Those companies now are the NFL’s "official sports betting partners.”
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 15, 2021
The partnership between sports leagues and sportsbooks generally consists of licensed use of official league data and league logos/branding in sportsbook advertising. As you can see in the table below, partnerships between sports leagues and sportsbooks are becoming very popular because of the many benefits to both parties.
Sportsbooks receive additional name-brand recognition and official data to use in live betting and prop betting while sports leagues receive additional revenue from the license fees they charge for the use of their official data and branding.
Professional Sports League | Sportsbook Partner |
---|---|
CFL | FanDuel |
LPGA | BetMGM |
MLB | DraftKings, FanDuel |
MLS | BetMGM |
NASCAR | BetMGM, FanDuel, WynnBET |
NBA | DraftKings, FanDuel |
NFL | FanDuel, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings |
NHL | ESPN BET, BetMGM, FanDuel, theScore Bet |
National Lacrosse League (NLL) | BetMGM |
PGA Tour | BetMGM, FanDuel, DraftKings, BetPARX, bet365 |
Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) | FanDuel |
UFC | DraftKings |
WNBA | FanDuel |
WTA (Women's Tennis Association) | FanDuel |
Sports venue partnerships with sportsbooks 414k5l
In several states, including North Carolina sports betting also falls under this category. This agreement often includes a retail sportsbook at the team’s arena/stadium.
Other states/districts such as Washington, DC and Illinois authorize sports venues to partner with sportsbooks to build a retail sportsbook on-site without an online licensing component. And in some cases the venue just wanted to partner with a sportsbook. Whatever the case, just about every sports facility has some sort of sportsbook branding, but the facilities in the table below feature much more than just a sign on the wall or ment in the team program (are those still a thing?).
Venue | City | Sportsbook Partnership | Additional Information |
---|---|---|---|
Nationals Park | Washington, DC | BetMGM | Partnership includes a retail sportsbook on-site and online betting available within three blocks of the stadium |
Capital One Arena | Washington, DC | Caesars Sportsbook | Partnership includes a retail sportsbook on-site and online betting available within three blocks of the stadium |
Phoenix International Raceway | Phoenix, AZ | Barstool Sportsbook | PIR is the license partner for Barstool in AZ. Partnership includes a retail sportsbook on-site |
Caesars Superdome | New Orleans, LA | Caesars Sportsbook | First NFL stadium to have a naming rights agreement with a sportsbook |
Prudential Center | Newark, NJ | Caesars Sportsbook | Partnership includes a branded club area inside the arena |
Madison Square Garden | New York, NY | Caesars Sportsbook | Caesars is the official sportsbook of Madison Square Garden, the world's most famous arena |
New York, NY | BetMGM Sportsbook | BetMGM is the official sportsbook of the New York Knicks and New York Rangers at the world's most famous arena. BetMGM advertising will extend digitally past MSG for fans to see | |
United Center | Chicago, IL | FanDuel | Partnership includes a retail sportsbook on-site |
Allegiant Stadium | Las Vegas, NV | WynnBET | Partnership includes a branded field-level VIP club area in the stadium |
Chase Field | Phoenix, AZ | Caesars Sportsbook | Chase Field is the license partner for Caesars in AZ. Partnership includes a retail sportsbook on-site |
TPC Scottsdale/PGA Tour | Scottsdale, AZ | DraftKings | TPC Scottsdale is the license partner for DraftKings in AZ. Partnership includes a retail sportsbook on-site |
Footprint Center | Phoenix, AZ | FanDuel | The Suns play in Footprint Center. The NBA team is the license partner for FanDuel in AZ. Partnership includes a retail sportsbook on-site |
State Farm Stadium | Glendale, AZ | BetMGM | Deal includes retail sportsbook located on stadium grounds |
Audi Field | Washington, DC | FanDuel | Partnership includes a retail sportsbook on-site and online betting available within three blocks of the stadium |
Wrigley Field | Chicago, IL | DraftKings | Partnership includes a retail sportsbook on-site |
Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse | Cleveland, OH | Caesars Sportsbook | Partnership includes a retail sportsbook on-site |
Yankee Stadium | New York, NY | FanDuel | Partnership includes "VIP hospitality accommodations" at the stadium |
Citi Field | Queens, NY | Caesars Sportsbook | Partnership includes a branded sportsbook lounge inside the stadium |
Fenway Park | Boston, MA | BetMGM Sportsbook | Partnership allows BetMGM to have signage all around ballpark including on the Green Monster |
Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Indianapolis, IN | Caesars Sportsbook | Partnership includes a branded sportsbook lounge inside the stadium |
Meadowlands Rail Line | East Rutherford, NJ | BetMGM Sportsbook | Partnership includes print and digital ads in stations throughout NJ Transit’s system |
Quail Hollow Club | Charlotte, NC | ESPN BET | ESPN BET will become the exclusive official sports betting operator of the Wells Fargo Championship |
Progressive Field | Cleveland, OH | Fanatics Sportsbook | Partnership includes a retail sportsbook inside the ballpark. |
FedEx Forum | Memphis, TN | Caesars Sportsbook | Caesars Sportsbook lounge being built at the facility. |
FedEx Field | Landover, MD | Fanatics Sportsbook | This retail sportsbook becomes first one inside an NFL stadium |
Charlotte Motor Speedway | Charlotte, NC | BetMGM Sportsbook | This partnership ensures BetMGM Sportsbook will have market access in North Carolina once sports betting officially launches. |
McConnell Golf | Raleigh, NC | Underdog Sports | This partnership ensures Underdog Sports will have market access in North Carolina once sports betting officially launches. |
PGA Championship | ESPN BET | This partnership makes ESPN BET the official sponsor of the PGA Championship through 2026. |
Celebrity partnerships with sportsbooks e5l18
🚨 Introducing WynnBET's newest brand ambassador 🚨
Welcome to the team, @SHAQ! pic.twitter.com/xdo8xZd95A
— WynnBET (@WynnBET) August 9, 2021
Sportsbooks employ many strategies to increase awareness of their product. Like any large company, sportsbooks engage in broad-based advertising campaigns and sponsor events or sports teams. They also contract with celebrities to promote their sportsbook as part of a marketing partnership. Some of these partnerships make sense, while others have raised a few eyebrows. Either way, celebrity endorsements are a growing part of the overall marketing efforts used by sportsbooks to attract new customers in states where sports betting is legal.
Sportsbook | Celebrity/Athlete Partner | Additional Information |
---|---|---|
bet365 | Aaron Paul | Emmy-winning actor |
Betfred | Rod Smith | Former Denver Broncos WR |
BetMGM | Chris Chelios | Former NHL hockey player |
Connor McDavid | Edmonton Oilers star player (first current NHL player to be sponsored by a sportsbook) | |
Jamie Foxx | Oscar-winning actor | |
Wayne Gretzky | The Great One | |
Jalen Rose | Former NBA player | |
Kevin Garnett | Former NBA MVP | |
Barry Sanders | Former NFL MVP | |
Chris Johnson | Former NFL RB | |
Marshawn Lynch | Former NFL RB | |
Tim Howard | Former star soccer player | |
Tom Brady | Former NFL MVP | |
BetRivers | Jerome Bettis | Former Pittsburgh Steelers RB |
Mike Ditka | Former NFL coach | |
Joakim Noah | Former NBA player | |
Bobby Valentine | Former MLB manager | |
Caesars Sportsbook | Manning Family | Eli, Cooper, Archie, and Peyton all appear in Caesars TV ads |
Henrik Lundqvist | Former NHL goalie | |
DraftKings | Jerry Rice | Former NFL receiver |
Bryson Dechambeau | Professional golfer | |
Kevin Hart | Comedian and actor | |
Ryan Fitzpatrick | Former NFL QB | |
Mike Golic | Former NFL player and current media personality | |
Tony Hawk | Professional skateboarder | |
The Miz | Professional wrestler | |
David Ortiz | Former MLB player | |
Emmitt Smith | Former NFL RB | |
Cal Ripken | Former MLB player | |
LeBron James | Current NBA superstar | |
FanDuel | Jordan Spieth | PGA Tour golfer |
Dr DisRespect | Professional video game player | |
Boomer Esiason | Former NFL QB and current media personality | |
Carli Lloyd | Former women's professional soccer player | |
Tom Kim | PGA Tour golfer | |
Rob Gronkowski | Former NFL TE | |
James Harrison | Former NFL player | |
Charles Barkley | Former NBA MVP | |
WynnBET | Ben Affleck | Oscar-winning actor |
Allen Iverson | Former NBA player | |
Nick Mangold | Former NFL player | |
Robert Mathis | Former NFL player | |
Chad Ochocinco | Former NFL player | |
Julian Edelman | Former NFL player | |
Shaquille O'Neal | Former NBA player and current media personality |
More on sports betting partnerships p83s
The sheer number of sportsbook-related commercials has gone from novelty to irritation, but the sponsorships do have some benefits. For example, if you’re a loyal Betfred customer in Colorado, you can head over to the Betfred tailgate set up outside the Broncos stadium and have a drink before the game.
If you’re more of a Caesars person, head on over to the spacious Caesars Sportsbook inside Washington, DC’s Capital One Arena and make some bets before a Capitals or Wizards game. If you have VIP status, you will no doubt receive additional benefits.
In some states, like Arizona, sportsbooks can partner with a sports team in order to have access to the market. This creates a natural partnership opportunity that has led to sportsbooks being built or planned at sports facilities. In other cases, a media company partners with a sportsbook to use their odds information, which helps readers know who is favored and why. Another natural alignment is sportsbooks partnering with sports leagues to use the leagues’ official data for their oddsmaking and live betting.
Sportsbook partnerships are becoming an increasingly important part of the sports betting industry, so we at Sports Handle thought it would be useful to create a tracker to keep tabs on the state of play. Think of the page as a work in progress – we’ll update it as soon as additional information is released. If you want to let us know about anything we missed or if you have any comments about the tracker, please send us a message. You can also find Sports Handle on X. We love hearing from our readers.