Even Charles Barkley would say this is not “turrible.”
Turner Sports announced separate multi-year agreements with FanDuel and DraftKings on Thursday, with the former now the exclusive sportsbook partner for NBA programming across its properties including Bleacher Report, and the latter the exclusive sportsbook partner and daily fantasy sports provider across select sports excluding NBA programming.
The move significantly expands Turner Sports’ footprint into the sports betting arena arena, with its partnership with FanDuel beginning during the most recent NBA postseason. FanDuel’s sportsbook odds were presented during TNT’s “Inside the NBA” studio show, and were part of promotions during NBA telecasts and on Bleacher Report.
“NBA fans across TNT and Bleacher Report are responding well to sports betting content,” said Will Funk, Executive Vice President, Sports Partnerships and Branded Content, Turner Sports, in a joint statement. “We’ve already seen this with the TV and digital elements we’ve designed with FanDuel this past season and are excited to expand our partnership. Our collective goal is to grow NBA audience via engaging FanDuel interactive gaming experiences integrated across Turner Sports’ platforms.”
Turner Sports also has rights packages for Major League Baseball and the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, while Bleacher Report has a studio in the sportsbook at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
FanDuel branding Turner platforms
“Inside the NBA” featured the FanDuel Sportsbook Odds board, which highlighted odds and betting percentages for specific games discussed during segments, and FanDuel was a title sponsor of Bleacher Report’s “Group Chat” that covered NBA odds and betting lines.
Chuck's guarantee win % 😭 @br_betting pic.twitter.com/wYNga6NI4p
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 19, 2020
“Turner Sports is a leader in the media industry and, together, we’re bringing viewership to the next level by offering exclusive sports betting content that’s directly integrated into their NBA programming,” said Mike Raffensperger, CMO, FanDuel Group. “We’ll be incorporating FanDuel Sportsbook odds and analysis into Turner Sport’s live broadcasts and Bleacher Report’s digital content, offering a new, enhanced, experience for NBA fans.”
Bleacher Report’s B/R Betting vertical, which was launched in 2019, has more than 500,000 combined followers on Twitter and Instagram. Bleacher Report also has more than two million subscribers to its YouTube channel, where the “B/R Betting Show” airs.
DraftKings to create customized content for B/R
DraftKings will provide Turner Sports with sports betting information and DFS content across Turner Sports and Bleacher Report, including the B/R app for smartphones. Some of the planned integrations include DraftKings providing custom content segments, DraftKings’ betting odds and DFS statistics, and personalized automated alerts and editorial across Bleacher Report, including the B/R Betting vertical.
Today, @DraftKings & @Turner Sports announced a collaboration agreement to create original programming and @BleacherReport content integrations. DraftKings is now the Exclusive Sportsbook, Daily Fantasy Sports and iGaming Provider of Turner Sports. https://t.co/RO2pXApMkz pic.twitter.com/1ZWdEFh7fy
— DraftKings News (@DraftKingsNews) October 15, 2020
“Regulated betting is quickly becoming a fixture of modern sports entertainment, and this collaboration with Turner Sports further scales the reach of our products and content to engage fans,” said Ezra Kucharz, Chief Business Officer, DraftKings, in a joint statement. “Turner Sports platforms provide exceptional content as they continually captivate sports audiences. Their medium aligns with the DraftKings’ brand and we look forward to delivering a seamless experience for readers and viewers while also broadening our visibility.”
