The National Football League continues to add to their list of partners as the season approaches. Today the league announced that four sportsbooks have been granted “approved sportsbook operators” status: BetMGM, FOX Bet, PointsBet, and WynnBET.
In a twist in the tier of NFL partner perks, each of the four approved sportsbook operators will be allowed to purchase advertisements on NFL broadcasts. Combined with the three official gaming partners (Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel), that brings the number of gaming companies to seven that can purchase commercial airtime during NFL games. This exclusivity is a feather in the cap of these few sportsbooks.
The NFL is not the first professional sports league to create an exclusive broadcast advertising tier for sponsors. The NBA previously authorized as many as 30 gaming partners for their broadcasts. As the most popular and profitable professional sports league in the U.S., the NFL can (and did) demand more from sportsbooks for the opportunity to advertise during game broadcasts.
In addition to the small group of sportsbooks, the NFL has capped the number of advertising spots per game broadcast for the 2021-22 season. The league will allow as many as six total spots from the gaming partners per game, and no more. Each NFL game can reportedly include one sports betting pregame ad, one per quarter, and one at halftime.
BetMGM Goes All In With NFL Ad Spend Featuring Award-Winning Actor
According to reporting by Sports Business Journal, the slate of BetMGM ad spots will break down this way: one during the September 9 NFL Season Kickoff; ten BetMGM spots in games played during the weekly Sunday primetime games, spread throughout the season; several spots on CBS during regular Sunday games; and three spots on NBC during the divisional and wild card playoffs. BetMGM features Oscar-winning actor and brand ambassador Jamie Foxx in their ad campaigns for the NFL.
In many states with legalized sports betting in place, there has already been a tremendous increase in ad spends on television and streaming channels by gaming companies as the NFL and college season approach. The NFL will open their season on Thursday, September 9, when the Buccaneers and Cowboys square off in prime time on NFL Season Kickoff. Most teams will open the season the following Sunday, September 12. Games will be broadcast exclusively on CBS, ESPN, Fox, NBC, and The NFL Network.
WynnBET Reveals Ads Featuring Ben & Shaq
As we’ve reported in our coverage of the NFL and sportsbook advertising, WynnBET is expected to run an ad campaign featuring their own Oscar winner, Ben Affleck, in a series of commercials that also features Shaquille O’Neal. The sportsbook is already running the campaign in several states with legal sports betting in the days before the NFL season.
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