DraftKings and MLB Signs Another Gaming Sponsorship

• Major League Baseball welcomes DraftKings as official sponsor
• The League will provide official data to the betting company
• DraftKings speaks of enhanced customer experience

DraftKings becomes authorized gaming partner for Major League Basketball, reigniting the old 2015 deal when the company signed 27 MLB teams.

DraftKings Becomes Authorized Partner for MLB

Shortly after becoming the official DFS sponsor of the PGA Tour, DraftKings is back with another major sponsorship, this time with Major League Basketball (MLB). Moving forward, the company will be the league’s official gaming partner.

Despite initial opposition, MLB has been actively involved with gaming companies, including a partnership with MGM Resorts Internationalsigned at the end of 2018. DraftKings remains the largest fantasy betting companies in the United States, with properties in New Jersey and Mississippi, and another offer coming up in West Virginia.

DraftKings Boosts Awareness with MLB Partnership

As a result of the partnership, DraftKings will be allowed to use league data and leverage the brand’s power by using the MLB’s logos. Commenting on the situation, Head of Business at DraftKings, Ezra Kucharz, had the following to say:

“DraftKings is proud to be designated as a Major League Baseball Authorized Gaming Operator. This deal speaks to the commitment we have to our customers and sports leagues alike while providing the safest and most entertaining American-made sportsbook. As a result of this agreement, our customers will experience enhanced live wagering offerings for all MLB games.”

Does Data Matter?

For a while now, there has been an ongoing debate about whether league data matters. On the one hand, MLB believes that its data would allow sportsbooks to make more accurate predictions about games.

Still, quite a few businesses around the United States have dismissed the idea of accepting data from the big leagues, including the NFL and the NBA, explaining that such moves are unnecessary.

.@DraftKings is joining @MGMResortsIntl as an authorized gaming partner of @MLB. Company gets right to access official MLB data, use of MLB team logos and promotion from the sport in states where DraftKings operates #SportsBiz pic.twitter.com/ykQite3EhY

— Eben Novy-Williams (@novy_williams) July 25, 2019

Companies explained that they have been crunching their own data successfully, and accepting even league data could compromise working algorithms.

MLB VP of Gaming and New Ventures, Kenny Gersh, didn’t miss an opportunity to highlight the importance of such data to companies as DraftKings. Mr. Gersh noted that the MLB had a number of tools to leverage to ensure a better connection with fans, and more specifically:

Buoyed by our collective commitments to drive innovation in the U.S. sports betting marketplace, the tools provided to DraftKings – including fast, rich and reliable data feeds and MLB brand marks – will be central to creating these powerful new ways to consume and connect with our sport

The deal also makes sense because DraftKings and the MLB have been partners in the past. In 2015, the sports betting company was also listed as an official sponsor. Plus, DFS also sponsored as many as 27 MLB teams, signing them as the basis of a single deal back in August, 2015.