Sports gaming powerhouse FanDuel announced Monday a “content and marketing relationship” with the PGA Tour.
Fanduel PGA Partnership
The deal signifies another marriage between the burgeoning NJ sportsbooks and leagues and teams for which they offer prices.
Since the start of 2020, major league franchises and major organizations have secured sponsorship deals from major national sports betting operations.
The multi-year deal allows FanDuel Sportsbook to use official PGA Tour branding, tournament footage, and access to the official webpage and app to deliver betting content.
FanDuel will become a visible advertising partner on media and platforms, including the 2020 US Open later this month and the Masters, moved from April to November this year.
“We’ve had a great relationship with the PGA [Tour] over the years,” FanDuel’s Chief Marketing Officer Mike Raffensperger said Tuesday.
“As most leagues have taken an interest in the emergence of sports betting and sports gaming more broadly, they wanted to open up a search for partners and we wanted to be part of that dialogue. We felt like the time was right, given what our customers were telling us and their appetite for golf to take that next step and form a more official relationship with the PGA.”
Raffensperger noted the company has a strong history of golf DFS which has evolved into solid betting of weekly events, especially in-play action.
FanDuel has leveraged its customer base from daily fantasy to develop a strong sportsbook brand.
Since opening at the Meadowlands in July 2018, FanDuel has dominated the market in New Jersey and become the top retail and online source for handle and revenue.
“We have long admired FanDuel’s brand, product and marketing strategies as well as the leadership position it has taken since the legalization of sports betting in 2018,” said Norb Gambuzza, SVP, Media and Gaming at the PGA TOUR Monday.
“We are excited to bring FanDuel into the PGA TOUR’s Official Betting Operator program as we continue to engage new fans in this rapidly growing space.”
While Raffensperger mentioned the negotiations had been going on for a while during the coronavirus shutdown of sports, the timing of the announcement seems interesting.
Last week, PointsBet announced a groundbreaking multi-year deal with NBC Sports, who is a major media partner with the PGA Tour, as operator of the Golf Channel and broadcaster of tournaments throughout the year.
This will put two national brands on a major stage in direct competition for eyeballs and wallets.
“You’ll see us utilize that PGA relationship to put value into the PGA and our customers’ pockets in terms of promotions, enhanced odds boosts,” Raffensperger said of what players can expect to see.
