A wide-ranging partnership
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) has announced that DraftKings is now an official sportsbook and daily fantasy partner of the organization. DraftKings tweeted about the arrangement on Tuesday:
The new PFL mixed martial arts (MMA) season begins April 23; people in states with legal sports betting will be able to place bets on the fights through DraftKings. The multi-year partnership is reportedly worth seven figures and covers license fees for data usage, sponsorship, and marketing.
As part of the agreement, the DraftKings logo will appear around the fighting cages during events and PFL broadcasts will integrate betting odds. DraftKings will sponsor a pre-fight show and have access to real-time data during fights to allow for more extensive in-fight betting markets. This includes innovative types of bets, some of which relate to the speed of a fighter’s kicks and punches.
Both parties excited
DraftKings will also have the ability you use PFL logos for advertising purposes and the two parties will work together on different types of content. And naturally, DraftKings will offer cash prizes for PFL-related pools.
we look to advance the sport by delivering a premium and unique betting and gaming experience”
Speaking about this new partnership, PFL CEO Peter Murray said: “We’re thrilled to partner with DraftKings as we look to advance the sport by delivering a premium and unique betting and gaming experience to the millions of passionate MMA fans in the US.”
DraftKings chief business officer Ezra Kucharz spoke about the operator’s excitement at becoming the first official betting partner of the PFL. He referenced the “young, loyal, passionate, and engaged” MMA fanbase and the PFL’s innovative offering.
A different type of MMA organization
The PFL is an organization that began in 2018 and is owned by numerous investors, including comedian Kevin Hart and Washington Nationals owner Mark Lerner.
Unlike other fighting organizations that tend to have fights year-round, the PFL follows a more traditional type of sports schedule, including a regular season and post-season, in addition to championship fights. The prize awaiting the champion fighters come the end of the season is normally $1m. According to the press release for the DraftKings partnership, the PFL is the number two MMA company globally.
Other notable DraftKings deals
This is not the first MMA-related partnership for DraftKings. The operator signed a five-year deal with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in early March that is worth about $350m. This exclusive deal covers the North American market and also sees DraftKings’ odds and logo appear across various mediums, including during fights.
Last week, DraftKings joined two other operators in becoming the NFL’s first official sports betting partners. It also recently became the official gaming partner of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Other sports organizations that DraftKings has a deal with for sports betting and/or daily fantasy sports include MLB, PGA Tour, NASCAR, and the NBA. DraftKings sportsbooks are up and running in 14 states at the moment.