Looks like the old “tastes great, less filling” arguments of yore are going to be joined by “straight bets, more teasers” discussions during NFL broadcasts this season as the NFL — after decades of railing against the notion of legalized sports betting — is now welcoming seven different sportsbooks to its commercial airwaves.
Expect to see six sportsbook ads per game this year. Why only six? Because that’s the limit the NFL is placing on the books. The reasons for this are twofold, an NFL source told SportsHandle: One, because not all fans are interested in sports betting, and two, because there are still fresh memories of the ridiculousness of the DraftKings–Fanduel DFS wars back in 2015, when the two companies spent more money than the entire beer industry on television advertising from Aug. 15 to the first week of the NFL season.
But there may be a third reason, as pointed out by Adam Armbruster, a television ad expert of Eckstein, Summers, Armbruster & Company.
“If they limit the supply, the pricing will be at a premium,” Armbruster pointed out.
The rules
Here are the basic details: The NFL is allowing FanDuel, DraftKings, and Caesars — the official sportsbook partners of the NFL — along with FOX Bet, BetMGM, PointsBet, and WynnBet to advertise during NFL games. The latter four are being allowed to join in the fun because they’ve agreed, per a press release, to “adhere to the NFL’s core integrity policies, use official NFL data, collaborate with the NFL on information sharing and advocacy efforts and support the NFL’s responsible gambling efforts. All operators will also license Official League Data from the League’s Official Data provider, Genius Sports.”
And make no mistake: These sportsbooks are champing at the bit to get their advertising out to a national audience in an effort to gain as much market share as possible.
“When it comes to sports betting action, the NFL remains a leader among all sports,” read a statement to SportsHandle from the Caesars Entertainment PR desk. “Having far-reaching visibility with NFL fans this season presents a great opportunity for potential growth. Caesars Entertainment will have a wide-reaching branding push this NFL season. As the official casino partner and an exclusive sports betting partner of the NFL, complimented by a full roster of partnerships with individual NFL teams and having the naming rights to the Caesars Superdome, all anchored by a national advertising campaign and new promotions for Caesars Sportsbook, Caesars will have strong visibility with NFL fans this fall.”
DraftKings is also ready to dive in headfirst with its national campaign.
“In-game NFL ads provide an excellent opportunity to get our brand in front of engaged audiences consuming live sports,” said Stephanie Sherman, DraftKings’ SVP of channel marketing. “Doing so nationally is newly available this year and a critical area for us to test. So, we’re going to invest and measure in real time like we always do with an analytical lens.”
But while the likes of Caesars and DraftKings are readying their campaigns, the NFL’s braintrust is still showing some hesitancy by limiting the number of ads.