First deal of its kind
The Philadelphia 76ers and FOX Bet have joined forces in the first deal of its kind. As an official partner of the Philadelphia 76ers, FOX Bet has become the first mobile sportsbook to partner with an NBA franchise.
Through this agreement, FOX Bet will generate brand awareness through the NBA team’s various marketing channels. This will include through the team’s social media accounts, traditional and other digital assets, as well as advertising at the Wells Fargo Center.
FOX Bet has become the first mobile sportsbook to partner with an NBA franchise
FOX Bet can now publish near-live replays from 76ers games through its Twitter account. It will also now be the presenting partner for the 76ers 97.5 ‘The Fanatic’ radio game broadcast. Finally, the FOX Bet logo will be part of the hype video that is played during the fourth quarter of home games.
These types of partnerships look to create deeper engagement between fans and the given sportsbook. This is usually through promotions and competitions relevant to the given fan base.
Reaction to this new partnership
FOX Bet CEO Robin Chhabra had his say on this new partnership in a press release, stating:
To have the opportunity to tie the FOX Bet brand to one of the most iconic sports franchises in NBA history is absolutely thrilling.”
Chhabra went on to talk about how this partnership was a perfect fit thanks to the extremely passionate fan base in Philadelphia.
Adam Davis, chief commercial officer of Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment (the 76ers owners), spoke about the great potential Fox Bet has in the US sports betting market. He touched upon the experience the company has thanks to its exposure to the European sports betting market.
Davis finished by saying: “FOX Bet and our team look forward to amplifying a multi-tiered activation approach by creating dynamic, digital content and continuing to drive engagement with our brand, team and league.”
Growth opportunity for both brands
FOX Bet is among a number of sportsbook operators that have already been announced as betting partners of the NBA. It was only in September that FOX Bet launched its first online sportsbook in the US market.
The mobile sportsbook currently has operations in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The FOX Bet brand replaced the BetStars sportsbook offering in New Jersey.
It was in October that the 76ers signed up an official casino partner. This deal is with the Parx Casino, but there was no mention of sports betting in the announcement.
Both FOX Bet and the 76ers are clearly looking to cash in on the sports betting wave in the US market as much as possible.