The National Hockey League continued expanding its sports betting reach Tuesday, signing a multiyear deal to make PointsBet an official sports betting partner of the league.
The NHL, which had been one of the most strident opponents of legalized sports betting in the United States prior to the United States Supreme Court striking down PASPA in May 2018, previously reached deals with FanDuel, William Hill, and MGM Resorts International, which owns BetMGM.
“As the sports betting landscape evolves at a rapid pace, we continue to develop unique, strategic alliances within the sports gaming industry,” said NHL Chief Business Officer and Senior Executive Vice President Keith Wachtel. “Our partnership with PointsBet brings to life our collaboration with our valued media partners and we look forward to enhancing our fan engagement opportunities in concert with both PointsBet and NBC. We are proud to welcome PointsBet to the NHL family.”
The deal also deepens ties both the league and the Australian-based sportsbook have with NBC Sports. The NHL is in the final season of a 10-year, $2 billion contract signed in April 2011, and NBC signed a five-year deal to acquire a 4.9% stake in PointsBet for $500 million in August 2020. NBC Sports Network will cease to exist at the end of this year, but it will continue to operate regional networks nationwide.
“PointsBet is thrilled to become an official sports betting partner of the National Hockey League,” said Johnny Aitken, CEO of PointsBet USA. “The NHL’s on-ice product provides fans with captivating, nonstop action — it is a privilege to join forces with the NHL and its forward-thinking team, complementing that action with PointsBet’s sports betting product, the fastest sports betting app in market.
“We are excited to further elevate fan engagement via offering the most markets in the world for each NHL game, including our exclusive PointsBetting product, and enhance TV and digital integrations with mutual partners like NBC Sports.”
PointsBet trying to find a footing on the ice
PointsBet had previously reached an agreement to be an official sports betting partner of the Detroit Red Wings last month ahead of their mobile launch in Michigan. The sportsbook also has access to three other NHL teams — the Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, and Washington Capitals — in legal markets in Illinois, Pennsylvania, and both Washington, D.C. and Virginia via regional NBC Sports Networks.
As part of the deal, PointsBet will receive rights to use NHL marks and logos and have access to league sponsorship and promotional opportunities across a broad spectrum of social media assets in both the United States and Australia.
PointsBet also has the ability to integrate live NHL game broadcasts across the league’s media partners. The sportsbook and NBC have already collaborated on incorporating PointsBet odds, data, and insight into broadcasts this season.
Additionally, PointsBet debuted Edge BetCast at last week’s PGA Tour Waste Management Open, a show that featured 2½ hours of daily betting coverage during the tournament that appeared on NBC’s streaming network Peacock.
