PrizePicks Shoots and Scores on Partnership With Dallas Stars

Atlanta-based PrizePicks, one of the largest daily fantasy sports operators in North America, stepped up its sponsorship game with an announcement Thursday of a partnership deal with the NHL's Dallas Stars.

It is the first such relationship that PrizePicks has signed with an NHL team. The Dallas Stars add to a small list of North American pro teams and leagues that are an official partner of the DFS brand, joining the MLB's Atlanta Braves, the North Carolina Courage of the National Women's Soccer League, and the BIG3 basketball league.

The deal is a boon for PrizePicks in the growing Texas sports betting market, as the prominent DFS operator will surely make a push to attract new customers similar to the numerous Texas sportsbook promos already being offered by many of the state's best sports betting sites.

“We are thrilled to further establish the PrizePicks brand alongside a great franchise like the Dallas Stars,” PrizePicks CEO and co-founder Adam Wexler said in a press release. “Texas is one of our most highly engaged markets, and hockey is one of our fastest growing segments. This partnership will accelerate our ability to enhance the gameday experience for fans.”  

Details of deal between PrizePicks, Dallas Stars

Exposure and game enhancement are the key elements to the Dallas Stars/PrizePicks partnership deal. For PrizePicks, it gains valuable exposure every time the Stars take the ice or appear on the airwaves. For the Stars, they get a partner that will concentrate on keeping the Stars in the news, on and off the ice.

According to the press release, "PrizePicks will be featured on local telecasts of Stars’ games via commercials and will be able to offer special VIP experiences to fans."

PrizePicks also gains the right to use Dallas Stars marks and logos on its site and for its advertising campaigns. The DFS provider will run commercials during Stars' broadcasts and gain the opportunity to display valuable and targeted signage in and around the NHL club's home arena. That includes the digitally enhanced dasher boards along the ice at American Airlines Center.

PrizePicks gets to align itself with one of the top teams in the NHL right now and gains the benefit of partnering with what is slowly becoming not only an iconic NHL franchise but one of Texas' favorite sports teams.

On the other side, the Stars get a reliable and valuable sports betting partner that is committed to not only growing its name but promoting the Stars' brand across the nation. "Fan enhancement" has been a motivation for teams to sign on with sports betting providers, and the Stars will get promised VIP opportunities and targeted promotions.

"Elevating the game day experience for our fans will always be a top priority for us," said Brad Alberts, the Stars' president and CEO. "We're excited about our partnership with PrizePicks, and we look forward to engaging with fans in this new and unique way."

Building the brand

PrizePicks is the biggest DFS provider in the U.S., but its name isn't as widely known as some of its competitors. Partnerships such as the one signed Thursday are an attempt to address such an exposure gap.

PrizePicks is available in 34 states in America and Canada but needed to flip the script on some bad news it has gotten lately after a Feb. 15 stoppage of its business in New York and a $15 million penalty for doing so without a license in the Empire State.

PrizePicks was also one of the three providers kicked out of the Florida market through a second cease and desist order.

PrizePicks was in need of some good news, and that came in the form of Thursday's announced Dallas Stars tie-up. We could see more PrizePicks partnerships in the near future as the brand tries to cement itself as the top DFS destination in the North American market.