Betting Sites Sponsoring Football Teams – Biggest Names

It’s no coincidence that the number of betting sites sponsoring football teams has increased markedly in recent years, as sports betting has become an increasingly regulated and lucrative practice. Incredibly, approximately 67.8 million Americans wagered $23.1 billion on the recent Super Bowl, underpinning a wider sports betting market that will peak at $9.65 billion in 2024.

These include globally renowned brands and the best DFS platforms, many of whom have also agreed sponsorship deals with leading NBA, NHL and MLB franchises. Let’s take a look at the biggest football betting sponsors and their relationship with the sport as a whole!

• Football Betting Sponsors
• How Sports Brands Have Taken Center Stage
• The Key Betting Sponsors in Football
• Other US Sports and Sponsorship
• The Last Word

Biggest Football Betting Sponsors in the NFL

The NFL comprises 32 participating teams divided equally between two conferences, with these franchises competing for a place in the coveted end-of-season playoffs and Super Bowl. NFL regular season games averaged 17.9 million viewers in 2023, which tied with the second-highest number since figures were first tracked in 1995.

So, it’s easy to see why there are so many betting sponsors in football. After all, these firms want to parade their brands and sites in front of as many potential customers as possible, and the NFL provides the ideal vertical to achieve this objective. This also allows brands to partner with widely supported teams and benefit from enhanced levels of customer engagement.

The NFL itself has signed contracts with multiple gambling giants, including Caesars, DraftKings and FanDuel. This makes betting brands the de facto official partners of the National Football League and Super Bowl, while it has also paved the way for franchises to sign lucrative agreements of their own.

The NFL’s contract with the Caesars Entertainment brand is the most lucrative, with an initial three-year-contract having been signed in 2019. This was worth an impressive $30 million per annum, with Caesars operating as the league’s official sponsor for the duration of the deal.

More recently, the NFL has permitted PointsBet, WynnBet, Fox Bet and BetMGM to advertise their football betting markets and promotions during games. Some 25 NFL teams now boast official partnerships with one or more betting brands, and we’ve summarized some of these agreements in the table below:

Betting Sites as the Most Lucrative Sponsors

Technology is currently the most lucrative industry in the NFL from a sponsorship perspective. According to data from the IEG Sponsorship Intelligence Database (IEG), technology firms contribute close to $400 million in advertising revenue, but the sports betting industry has become increasingly prominent and prolific in this regard.

In fact, sports betting is now the second biggest sponsorship contributor overall, producing $260 million in revenue through brands such as DraftKings, FanDuel and BetMGM. This puts gambling brands ahead of alcohol and beer companies ($211 million), telecommunications ($163 million), and insurance ($133 million), while the value of NFL sponsorship deals continues to grow year-on-year.

This was borne out by the combined deal signed with Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel at the beginning of the 2021 regular season, when the NFL relaxed its approach to accepting gambling sponsorships. This mega, five-year deal will run until 2026 and is worth just under $1 billion in total, while it’s supported by smaller agreements with similarly iconic US betting brands like BetMGM and PointsBet.

As a result of these agreements and a gradual shift in attitudes, the NFL generates more in sponsorship revenue than any other major US sport or league. According to IEG, the NFL’s total sponsorship deals are now worth a staggering $1.88 billion, putting the league ahead of the NBA ($1.64 billion), MLB ($1.19 billion) and NHL ($753 million).

Key Football and NFL Sponsors

Obviously, the NFL’s aforementioned £1 billion sponsorship deal highlights Caesars, DraftKings and FanDuel as three of the dominant and biggest spending brands. DFS trailblazers DraftKings and FanDuel have been particularly influential in this space, playing a seminal role in driving a 667% increase in NFL corporate sponsorships over the course of the last five years.

In terms of individual deals, DraftKings have been partnered with the Philadelphia Eagles since 2020, and before they signed their lucrative deal with the NFL. That year also saw the brand enter a commercial partnership with the New York Giants, while they’ve subsequently signed smaller deals with the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots.

FanDuel’s list of NFL partners is even longer, and includes the Ravens, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets and the Washington Commanders. More recently, the brand also announced a lucrative, multi-year agreement with the Buffalo Bills, becoming the franchise’s official mobile sports betting partners.

They’ve subsequently joined BetMGM, Bally’s, Betfred, and Bet365 as key sponsors of the Bills, while gaining access to the team’s huge range of media assets. This includes prominent TV and radio advertising spots, alongside the ‘Bills by the Numbers’ podcast that’s hosted by Tasker and Chris Brown and widely watched by spectators.

Interestingly, FanDuel’s multi-year partnership with the Buffalo Bills highlights just how influential football gambling sponsors are becoming in the NFL and similar US sports leagues. More specifically, they continue to pay a premium to access a potentially huge and engaged audience, using existing media assets and profiles to target customers in states where they’re lawfully allowed to trade.

Other US Sports

We’ve already touched on how NFL sponsorship revenues are much higher than those associated with the NBA, NHL and MLB. It’s also fair to surmise that gambling brands are much less prominent in these leagues at the time of writing, although they continue to gain influence across a significant number of major US sports. Here’s a summary of these leagues and their current level of sports betting sponsorship:

• The NBA: In addition to betting sites sponsoring football teams, we’re also seeing gambling brands target the hugely popular NBA. This league signed its first contract with MGM Resorts International back in 2018, with this worth a relatively modest $25 million. It has since agreed further, cross-promotional deals with DraftKings and William Hill, while the former currently sponsor the New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers, Memphis Grizzlies, Detroit and the Philadelphia 76ers. Bally’s also became another officially recognized sportsbook for the NBA recently.
• The MLB: Many prominent football betting sponsors are also active in Major League Baseball (MLB). Interestingly, the MLB’s dalliance with sports betting sponsorship began in 2018 and at the same time as the NBA, when the league signed a lucrative agreement that made MGM it’s official wagering partner. It has also agreed subsequent deals with DraftKings and Fan Duel, while also embracing less-renowned brands such as theScore, Bet365, Betcris. DraftKings are also avid team sponsors in the MLB, having agreed deals with the Colorado Rockies and Chicago Cubs.
• The NHL: Numerous betting sponsors in football have also targeted the National Hockey League (NHL) since 2018, including FanDuel, William Hill and PointsBet. The NHL has multi-year sponsorship agreements with each of these brands, while MGM is tagged as the league’s official partner on a non-exclusive term of operations. The Vegas Golden Knights agreed the first individual sponsorship deal with PointsBet in 2018 too, while this unique sports betting brand have since signed further contracts with Colorado Avalanche (2020) and the Detroit Red Wings (2021).

The Last Word

It’s interesting to note that the number of betting sites sponsoring football teams has grown significantly since 2018, which was around the same time that brands like MGM, DraftKings and FanDuel began to target the NBA, MLB and NHL. However, the level of sports betting sponsorship in the NFL remains heightened, especially when it comes to the relationship between brands and individual teams.

This has much to do with the popularity of the NHL, with live attendances and TV viewership having risen significantly in recent years. The playoff rounds and iconic Super Bowl (which follow the regular season) are widely watched globally too, creating a unique opportunity for betting companies to engage a naturally engaged audience.

Ultimately, Americans love watching and betting on sports, so the decision to sponsor NFL teams and franchises in other leagues can prove highly lucrative for brands. It also enables them to engage in organic marketing and social media campaigns, while enhancing the typical viewing experience for fans across the board!