Sportsbook and daily fantasy sports operator DraftKings has agreed to a partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA) that will make the company an “authorized sports betting operator” of the league.
DraftKings will be the NBA’s second authorized sports betting operator, following William Hill, which agreed a similar deal with the league in October.
As part of the multi-year agreement, DraftKings will have access to official NBA data, as well as league branding, which it may now display on its mobile app and at retail sportsbooks.
In addition, the NBA and DraftKings will work together in order to protect the integrity of NBA games.
“We are excited to team with DraftKings, which has established itself as one of the leaders in the sports betting landscape in the US and has a passionate NBA following,” said Scott Kaufman-Ross, Senior Vice President, Head of Fantasy & Gaming at the NBA. “Our partnership will provide our fans with an authentic and enhanced gaming experience and help us further protect the integrity of our games.”
Ezra Kucharz, chief business officer at DraftKings, said the NBA’s willingness to welcome betting in order to drive engagement is something the operator greatly appreciates.
“NBA games are among the most captivating, dramatic and widely-consumed sports entertainment products globally, and the advocacy of the league around legal sports betting further demonstrates its consistent foresight to innovate for the betterment of the fan experience,” Kucharz said. “The correlation between sports betting and fan engagement is proven, and we look forward to the opportunities that being an authorized gaming operator of the NBA will unlock for consumers.”
DraftKings said that the NBA is its most popular league for live betting, with 70% of NBA bettors having placed at least one in-play bet, while nearly 45% of the operator’s NBA handle has come from these wagers.