FanDuel Expands NFL Partnership to Include Ontario

FanDuel is one of the top sportsbooks in the USA, and they have an existing partnership with the NFL for their USA offerings. The two parties announced that they have expanded their partnership to include the newly-legal Ontario market, boosting FanDuel’s growing Canadian footprint. 

FanDuel’s list of Canadian partnership gets longer

FanDuel and the NFL have announced an extension to their existing partnership to include the Ontario sports betting market. Ontario’s legal launch just a few months ago has been met with a lively response from Canadian bettors, and both the leagues and the sportsbooks have thrown themselves full force into their marketing efforts. FanDuel has already become an official partner of the NHL, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Toronto Raptors, as well as the TSN television network that has the Canadian broadcasting rights for NFL games.

The expansion of the arrangement between the NFL and FanDuel opens doors for both organizations, as well as fans. The agreement gives FanDuel the rights to use the NFL’s trademarks in advertising campaigns, but more importantly gives FanDuel the opportunity to operate NFL-based free-to-play games in Ontario as well as promotional campaigns for the league with experience-based prizes like a trip to the Super Bowl.

NFL Canada Director of Corporate Partnerships Gavin Kemp said of the new arrangement: “With the FanDuel partnership in Canada we are able to provide fans with unique and entertaining experiences that will continue to drive high engagement for both organizations. FanDuel is an established global leader in the gaming space and we are excited to bring Canadian NFL fans even closer to the game.”

The NFL has another Canadian partnership as well

FanDuel is not the only sportsbook operator to ink a deal with the NFL. Previously the NFL took on the Ontario Gaming and Lottery Commission’s ProLine+ sportsbook as an official partner. For ProLine+ the deal secured the grand slam of major sports league partnerships, as they already had deals with MLB, the NBA, and the NHL. The competitive Canadian market has become highly competitive, and sportsbooks looking for any edge over the competition are actively seeking to secure partnership arrangements like these.

Getting an official partnership with a professional league or team is an advantage, but it is not alway a magic bullet for success. However, given FanDuel’s early reported success in the Ontario market as well as their dominant position in the US market it seems likely that this deal will further cement their top-tier status among top sportsbooks.

Responsibility at the forefront

In addition to the promotional benefits on both sides, this partnership provides more security and safety for bettors. FanDuel will be allowed to utilize official league data for settling bets, and in turn the NFL will gain access to FanDuel’s intelligence in terms of identifying any questions of game integrity. FanDuel will also utilize their “Play Well” initiative, designed to fight potential problem gambling and ensure that players are enjoying the sports betting hobby in a fun and responsible manner.

The initial flurry of sports betting after Ontario went legal has industry experts projecting big things when the NFL season kicks in. The NFL’s widespread popularity both in the US and Canada certainly gives it the potential to be a huge boon for gambling sites across the province once the season begins, but it remains to be seen if Ontario sports bettors prefer the NFL over the MLB, the NBA, and NHL by the large margins that are seen south of the border.

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