NFL and PointsBet Sign Partnership Deal

Sportsbooks in the US have had a difficult summer thanks to the annual seasonal slowdown of wagering activity. But the wagering lull hasn't stopped betting providers from getting their ducks in a row ahead of what promises to be a lucrative NFL season. Case in point - PointsBet, the elite Australian-based sportsbook that has not only been busy launching in new jurisdictions but has been consumed with signing partnership deals ahead of September 9 and the kickoff of the NFL season.

It was just this week that PointsBet announced a partnership deal to become the latest NFL sportsbook partner. 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."

Aligning

The aligning of the preeminent sports betting league in the world and one of the top wagering providers on the planet seemed like a logical step for both the NFL and PointsBet. The deal gives both the league and the betting provider a bigger reach prior to the commencement of the 2021-2022 NFL campaign. PointsBet joins BetMGM, Fox Bet and WynnBET as "second tier" provider partners for the NFL with Caesars and the two DFS moguls enjoying "top-tier" provider status with the league.

PointsBet immediately gains crucial and valuable NFL league data needed to enhance their impressive betting menus and provide their bettors with the most up-to-date and "official" real-time NFL data. “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.

There will also be the more valuable cross-promotional opportunities for both the betting provider and the NFL. Promotional and sponsorship opportunities are the cornerstone of such partnership deals and will be prevalent across all of the NFL's television networks and other digital channels promoting the PointsBet and NFL brands, including NFL.com and the NFL Network.

Cashing in With NBC Sports

PointsBet has an exciting relationship with NBC Sports that coincidentally broadcasts one of the NFL's highest rated weekly games - Sunday Night Football. PointsBet's exposure during broadcasts will be like no other sportsbook currently operating in the US has. NBC boasts the largest sports audience of any US median company, with over 184 million viewers and growing, on TV and on its expanding list of digital media outlets, that currently consists of about 60 million active users. And that share is only going up.

"As part of the agreement [between NBC and PointsBet], 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. Adding to the NBC/PointsBet/NFL angle, the sportsbook last month signed NFL legend Drew Brees as brand ambassador. He will work as an in-studio analyst for NBC's NFL coverage this year and eventually move into the booth for Sunday Night Football broadcasts during the 2022 season.

Climbing the Ladder

PointsBet's move up the US legal sports betting ladder is almost complete. Their alignment with the NFL was a logical step that absolutely had to happen for the betting provider to be considered one of the elite names in the business. They are now live in seven states - New Jersey, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Colorado, and Michigan, and most recently West Virginia, they are rumored to be moving into Canada and Arizona in the next few weeks. All together, PointsBet has market access in 16 US states.

The company generated $518 million during their last fiscal year that ended June 30 and has shown no signs of slowing down. Both PointsBet and the NFL win in the latest partnership that will start paying off immediately.