Turner Sports Pens Deals With FanDuel, DraftKings

Turner Sports has recently entered multi-year deals with two top-tier sports gambling entities, DraftKings and FanDuel.

DraftKings
DraftKings is now the exclusive sportsbook and daily fantasy sports provider across select Turner Sports and Bleacher Report properties, excluding NBA programming.

“Regulated betting is quickly becoming a fixture of modern sports entertainment, and this collaboration with Turner Sports further scales the reach of our products and content to engage fans,” said Ezra Kucharz, Chief Business Officer, DraftKings. “Turner Sports platforms provide exceptional content as they continually captivate sports audiences. Their medium aligns with the DraftKings’ brand and we look forward to delivering a seamless experience for readers and viewers while also broadening our visibility.”

Under the arrangement, DraftKings will provide sports betting information and daily fantasy content across Turner Sports telecasts and Bleacher Report digital channels including the B/R app. Planned integrations will include custom content segments, DraftKings’ betting odds and daily fantasy statistics, original content, personalized automated alerts and editorial across B/R channels including the B/R Betting vertical, the most engaged digital sports media brand in the sports betting industry.

“While this emerging industry continues to evolve, sports betting helps to drive engagement, increased time spent viewing and audience scale,” said Will Funk, Executive Vice President, Sports Partnerships and Branded Content, Turner Sports. “This alliance enhances Turner Sports’ content with betting information that our hyper-engaged, highly interactive viewers demand, while driving customer engagement and acquisition for DraftKings.”

Bleacher Report launched its B/R Betting vertical in 2019 to focus on content in and around sports betting. Since its launch it has consistently ranked as the most engaged sports media brand devoted to the subject.

FanDuel
The deal grants FanDuel access to exclusive integrations within NBA content, including TNT live telecasts and Bleacher Report digital channels including the B/R app. As the exclusive sportsbook operator associated with Turner Sports’ NBA programming and Bleacher Report NBA content, FanDuel’s sportsbook will give basketball viewers sports betting insight and analysis directly integrated into the NBA viewing experience.

“Turner Sports is a leader in the media industry and, together, we’re bringing viewership to the next level by offering exclusive sports betting content that’s directly integrated into their NBA programming,” said Mike Raffensperger, CMO, FanDuel Group. “We’ll be incorporating FanDuel Sportsbook odds and analysis into Turner Sport’s live broadcasts and Bleacher Report’s digital content, offering a new, enhanced, experience for NBA fans.”

The partnership with Turner Sports began during the 2020 NBA Playoffs. FanDuel Sportsbook odds were integrated during TNT’s award-winning Inside The NBA studio show in addition to featuring promotional integrations during the live NBA games and across Bleacher Report channels. Inside The NBA debuted the FanDuel Sportsbook Odds Board, which featured discussion related to the odds and betting percentages for an NBA game. FanDuel was also the title sponsor for Bleacher Report’s B/R Betting show, Group Chat, which featured B/R talent discussing the latest odds and betting lines in connection with NBA games.

“NBA fans across TNT and Bleacher Report are responding well to sports betting content,” says Funk. “We’ve already seen this with the TV and digital elements we’ve designed with FanDuel this past season and are excited to expand our partnership. Our collective goal is to grow NBA audience via engaging FanDuel interactive gaming experiences integrated across Turner Sports’ platforms.”

In anticipation for the next NBA season, FanDuel already has odds up for the 2021 NBA Champion and the upcoming NBA Draft. The Lakers are currently the favorite to win the 2021 NBA Finals at +360, followed closely by the Clippers (+450), Bucks (+600), and Nets (+1000).