Two Major Sports Organizations Announce Gambling Sponsors

  • MSG Networks has announced a partnership with Flutter Entertainment-owned FanDuel Group
  • FanDuel content will feature in broadcasts for the New Jersey Devils and New York Knicks
  • The Carolina Panthers have signed an official casino partner in Harrah’s Cherokee Casino
Madison Square Garden subway sign in New York city
MSG Networks has announced a partnership with FanDuel, and the Carolina Panthers have teamed up with Harrah’s Cherokee Casino. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

Latest partnerships

MSG Networks has named Flutter Entertainment-owned FanDuel Group as its official sports gaming partner.

Meanwhile, the Carolina Panthers NFL team has teamed up with Harrah’s Cherokee Resort, naming the casino resort as an official casino sponsor. 

These two moves are the latest in a string of recent partnerships announced between sporting bodies and gambling sponsors.

MSG and FanDuel join forces

FanDuel, one of the leading sports betting operators in the US market, will now have a few different sportsbook features implemented across its broadcasts of New Jersey Devils and New York Knicks games, thanks to this new deal with MSG

A mix of in-game and half-time integrations, branded content, and commercial spots will air during each broadcast. There will also be updated betting odds displayed during broadcasts of Devils games.

Speaking about this new partnership was Kevin Marotta, the senior vice-president for marketing and content strategy at MSG Networks. He said the company is excited to partner with FanDuel to

bring our [MSG Networks] fans timely content and information that provides a deeper way to engage with our game coverage.”

Additions to game broadcasts

The social channels for MSG Network and the on-demand and live streaming platform MSG GO will also have FanDuel integration. 

To toast this new deal, there is a new pre-game show on MSG Networks. This is called ‘Inside the Lines’ and it will be airing in advance of every televised Knicks game. A similar show called ‘Line to Line’ will also be taking place before each of the New Jersey Devils games.

The topics discussed as part of this show will include the betting world of both the NHL and the NBA. 

Panthers secure first official casino sponsor

Carolina Panthers has signed a five-year deal with Harrah’s Cherokee Casino. This will see the casino company use the Panthers logo on its non-sportsbook marketing efforts. 

The partnership will also be broadcast across the various digital channels of the Panthers. This includes visibility of the casino’s logo during pre-game shows, as well in-game and post-game. 

includes visibility of the casino’s logo during pre-game shows, as well in-game and post-game

This casino is located in the eastern side of North Carolina and it will have the naming rights for the hospitality areas at the Panther’s stadium. The casino is also the sponsor for the team’s post-game show. 

‘A long time coming’

According to Brian Saunooke, the regional vice-president for marketing for Harrah’s Cherokee, this deal was ‘a long time coming’.

He said: “Because the NFL is a brand that has worked so hard to build their brand, they’re also protective of their brand. And sponsorship agreements such as that, they tend to be a lot more detailed and lengthy contracts.”

Since September 2018, NFL teams have been able to get on board with official casino sponsors, as long as there is no mention of sportsbooks. To date, a number of sports teams have signed up such a sponsor. 

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