Tag Archives: basketball

Detroit Pistons Enter Multi-Year Sports Betting Partnerships With FanDuel Group And DraftKings

The Detroit Pistons today announced multi-year partnerships with premier sports gaming companies FanDuel Group and DraftKings, Inc., making FanDuel and DraftKings official sports betting partners of the Pistons.

In addition to the use of official Pistons marks and logos, each partnership will include a mix of robust marketing assets, including in-arena signage and activations, television and digital advertising, and TV and radio presence to drive passionate Pistons enthusiasts to each entity’s sports betting offerings.

Detroit Pistons Chief Business Officer Mike Zavodsky praised the agreement with both companies and noted the commitment to building asset packages that provide engagement strategies unique to each business.

“We appreciate the partnership-minded and collaborative approach that both FanDuel and DraftKings brought to the table,” said Zavodsky. “We look forward to utilizing our platform to help each grow their presence within and connectivity to the Pistons and greater Detroit Metro communities.”

In addition to its partnership with FanDuel, the Pistons will also partner with MotorCity Casino Hotel. FanDuel and MotorCity Casino Hotel will offer exciting game day experiences at the newly designed FanDuel Sportsbook at MotorCity Casino in downtown Detroit. On game days, MotorCity Casino will provide fans with giveaways, exclusive viewing parties and other innovative experiences to enhance sports betting experience before, during and after the games.

“The Pistons are a progressive and forward-thinking franchise committed to its fans, and we see an incredibly valuable partnership opportunity as we connect our retail Sportsbook experience with Pistons game action in the arena,” said Mike Raffensperger, CMO of FanDuel. “This new relationship will create unique approaches for us to reach Pistons fans. With the FanDuel Sportsbook at MotorCity Casino and mobile gaming offerings on the FanDuel Sportsbook app, we will together offer engaging experiences both inside and outside the arena while giving fans access to unique betting promotions and content.”

An exciting element of the DraftKings partnership includes a “Piston For A Day” VIP fan experience giving users the opportunity to enter a contest where winners receive exclusive access to the team. Winners will sign a “Pistons Contract” for a day, pose for a photo with a member of the front office staff, receive a personalized Pistons jersey and warm-up clothing to wear to a Pistons game, receive a locker room tour and postgame shot on the Little Caesars Arena floor and private access for a one-hour shootaround on the Pistons Practice Court at the Henry Ford Detroit Pistons Performance Center.

“As our first professional team activation in the state of Michigan, we are thrilled to join forces with the Detroit Pistons ahead of our pending market introduction,” said Ezra Kucharz, Chief Business Officer, DraftKings. “This deal deepens our relationship with a prominent local team to facilitate more immersive fan experiences, both for Michiganders familiar with regulated gaming products as well as newcomers to the space.”

NBA Alumni Launch Legends Media & Entertainment To Unify Storytelling Efforts

The National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA) today announced the expansion and launch of Legends Media & Entertainment (LME), a multifaceted storytelling platform that will produce, distribute and quantify the wide reaching stories of many of the NBA and WNBA’s biggest stars. The content will span the history of both leagues and feature more recent alums of the game ranging from Sheryl Swoopes and Grant Hill to the sport’s greatest legends and business successes on and off the court, delivered through all forms of media, from print and spoken word to long and short form video.

The NBRPA represents over 1,000 former NBA and WNBA players, making it the largest agency of its kind in basketball. This has allowed for direct access to players for opportunities domestically and internationally.

“With the creation of LME, we are building a multimedia platform for some of the most compelling men and women connected to basketball’s history and culture under one umbrella, something which has been asked for, and needed for some time,” said NBRPA President and CEO Scott Rochelle. “LME will be a vibrant stop for fans, businesses and others who want to enjoy, learn and explore the amazing stories of our Legends both on and off the court. These stories are some of the best in the global business of sport, and now we can house them under one impactful roof.”

NBA Champion and NBRPA Director Caron Butler adds, “Every NBA and WNBA player has a story to tell and Legends Media & Entertainment offers ALL Legends a platform to tell their stories and let their voices be heard,” NBA Champion and NBRPA Director Caron Butler added.

Some of the key unified elements of LME will include:

Legends Magazinewhich debuted in 2018 and is the official publication for NBA and WNBA Legends. Produced quarterly, Legends Magazine has featured cover stories about NBRPA Director Caron Butler, Jerry Stackhouse, Elton Brand, Jamal Mashburn and “The Knuckleheads” – Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles. Each issue is delivered to all former players, active players, coaches, stakeholders, influencers and league officials worldwide.

Legends Studios also debuted in 2018 with the launch of original live-action and animated short videos and two podcasts, the All-Access Legends Podcast and On Deck with Scott Rochelle. In April 2020, Legends Live, a weekly web series broadcasted to multiple social media platforms featuring live conversations with NBA and WNBA Legends, was added to the Legends Studios portfolio. In addition to 32 standard episodes, Legends Live also covered the 2020 WNBA Draft and ESPN’s The Last Dance with live commentary from Legends. Last week, media personality Tyler Johnson, aka Trill Withers joined the LME team as host of Legends Live, where he will spend time with many of the game’s most successful and dynamic personalities and business people. Johnson will also be a key contributor to Legends Magazine, the All-Access Legends Podcast and the NBRPA’s social media strategy and content.

To follow along with LME content from the NBRPA, find them on social media at @NBAalumni on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch or on Facebook at NBA Alumni.

Georgia Soul, Crosstown Win Women’s, Men’s Elite Brackets At Inaugural 360 Hoops Invitational

Alexis Prince, Khadijiah Cave, Martell Buie and Demario Fountain were among the standouts as Georgia Soul (women’s) and Crosstown (men’s) claimed the Elite Bracket championships at the inaugural 360 Hoops Invitational this past week at DME Sports Academy. Competitors from across all age groups from elementary school up to top collegiate and professional standouts vied for the titles in various brackets in the unique 360 Hoops format, three-on-three play on a three-basket, three-team circular court.

In the women’s final, Prince scored a game-high 19 points, grabbed five rebounds and handed out six assists, and Cave pitched in 16 points and a game-best 10 boards as Georgia Soul defeated DMT, 54-25. The men’s final featured a strong comeback by Crosstown, which topped Top Shottas, 15-12, behind five points (one point per basket) from Blue and Fountain. Liam Davis had 10 of the squad’s 12 points and a game-high four rebounds in a losing effort for Top Shottas.

The fast-paced format meant non-stop action: the women’s contest saw 51 possessions in two 10-minute halves, and the men’s had 58 trips in 10:00.

The Women’s and Men’s Elite Bracket title games will be featured on a tape-delayed national TV broadcast with Emmy-Award winning producer Harry Cicma. Innovative camera angles and technology, including 360 VR, will be incorporated. Fans can view replays of games from the lower brackets at the 360 Hoops YouTube channel.

The format, in which three teams compete at a time on the 30-foot diameter circular court, featuring a single stanchion with three regulation baskets facing away in each direction and where players can score for their teams in any of the three baskets, produced some highlights not possible in standard basketball. Athleticism, moving without the ball and team play are paramount, readily apparent in this showcase for the nascent sport.

“We weren’t sure what to expect in our first tournament, but it exceeded everything we could have hoped for,” said Shane Brey, Co-Founder, 360 Hoops. “All of the elements of the game were on display, and we will look back at the tapes, learn which things worked well and which we can tweak to be even better.

“We are thankful to these tremendous athletes, from the youngest kids right up to the Elite men and women for their efforts all week,” he added. “Georgia Soul and Crosstown will forever be the FIRST 360 Hoops champions, and we can’t be prouder to award them the titles, along with the other bracket winners.”

Winners of the inaugural 360 Hoops Invitational in each bracket include:

Elite Women’s – Georgia Soul (Alexis Prince, Aliyah Collier, Dominique Wilson, Khadijiah Cave) d. DMT (Destiny Campbell, Micah Garvin, Tiffany Hodge, Ionna McKenzie), 54-25. Third place: TC Hoopers (Brandy Montgomery, Dyane Pierre, Nene Johnson, Stephanie Ball)
Elite Men’s – Crosstown (Jon Thompson, Martell Buie, Demario Fountain, Eric Macintosh) d. Top Shottas (Romelo Bates, Dimitri Thompson, Liam Davis, Wilfredo Rodriguez), 15-12. Third place: Dunk Session (Raheem Watts, Dangelo Lee, Chris Watson)
High School Girls – National Basketball Academy/DME (Coach Jack Lutzeier, players Mariela Hooper, Isys Grady, Jhaid Westbrook) d. TNBA
High School Boys – Orlando Mets (Coach Edgar Santana, players Cris Santiago, Malik Moye, Dayron Horn, Waiter Ross) d. Go Riot

The event was followed by a lively and informative roundtable discussion with high-level basketball minds including Division I coaches, highlights of which will also air during the television broadcast. Featured panelists included Howard head coach Kenny Blakeney; Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey; Stetson assistant Brendan Ahearn Suhr; DME Sports Academy co-founder and owner Dan Panaggio; U.S. Army captain and former Augusta State Univ. star Ernesia Wright; Orlando Boom director of player development Mercedes Sirmons; and former Daytona State College and University of Central Florida standout Andrea Ayala.

360 Hoops Invitational event partners include Dynasty Hoops, DME Sports Academy, Orlando Boom, and Ace League.

FanDuel Sportsbook Spreads The Love As NBA Tips Off

Opening night of the Battle in the Bubble will feature the Lakers and Clippers facing off for a pivotal win, and FanDuel Sportsbook is giving customers a chance to get an even bigger win when a legal sports bet is placed on the game. Today, FanDuel Sportsbook, a division of FanDuel Group, will once again bring its innovative Spread the Love ™ promotion to customers to celebrate the return of the NBA on TNT.

For every 2,500 customers who bet on the Lakers in the special Spread the Love Market, FanDuel will move the spread one point in the Lakers favor. There’s no limit to how good this line can get and the line won’t stop increasing until fans stop betting, or the game tips off. New and current customers can place a bet in the special Spread the Love Market to qualify and no matter what spread the bet is placed on – every wager placed in the market will receive the final spread.

“Spread the Love is one of our signature promotions and it’s exciting to watch the line move throughout the day, especially for such an important game on the first night of NBA action returning,” said Mike Raffensperger, CMO of FanDuel Group. “There is no limit to how good this spread can get and it doesn’t matter what line you have when you place a wager, everyone will get the final spread.”

The Lakers spread will begin the day at -4 with odds at -110. Max bet is $50. Spread the Love promotional spreads were introduced into the legal sports betting market by FanDuel in 2019. The Indianapolis Colts wound up with a +51 spread against the Saints last December and the 76ers point spread closed at +59.5 against the Bucks earlier this year.

The FanDuel Sportsbook is available for download today in iOS and Android. To track the line movement throughout the day, follow @FDSportsbook on Twitter.

March Madness Pushes New Jersey Sportsbooks to Record Month, According to PlayNJ.com

U.S. Air Force photo by Michelle Gigante

New Jersey’s online and retail sportsbooks scored a record win and near-record monthly handle in March as the industry crossed the $2 billion mark in bets since legalization. The spike was fueled overwhelmingly by the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, according to PlayNJ.com analysts.

“The first week of March Madness generated more action than the Super Bowl, and even the First Four games attracted enough betting to rival a busy weekend of NFL regular season football,” said Dustin Gouker, lead sports betting analyst for PlayNJ.com. “That is unquestionably a massive success and shows clearly the importance of college basketball to the Northeast’s legal sports betting markets.”

New Jersey’s online and retail sportsbooks accepted $372.5 million in March bets, just shy of the record $385.3 million in January, according to official reporting. New Jersey’s online and retail sportsbooks have now accepted $2.3 billion in bets since legalization in June 2018.

March revenue was $31.7 million, up 150 percent from $12.7 million in February. The win and a high-water gross revenue mark for the state’s online casinos combined in March to generate more than $70 million in monthly revenue.

“$2 billion in bets in nine months shows just how much pent-up demand for legal sports betting existed in New Jersey,” Gouker said. “As quickly as the industry has ramped up, though, the next milestone should come more quickly. $3 billion is certainly within reach by the industry’s first anniversary in June.”

New Jersey’s online sportsbook brands accounted for $298,3 million, or 80.8 percent, of total March bets. That’s even with the 80.8 percent of bets that flowed through online sportsbooks in February.

FanDuel Sportsbook/Pointsbet was the dominant online sportsbook, beating rival DraftKings Sportsbook, with $13.3 million in gross revenue, up from $6.59 million in February. DraftKings fueled Resorts’ $7.3 million in March, up from $3.7 million in February.

FanDuel Sportsbook at The Meadowlands remained tops in the retail market with $4.3 million in March gross revenue, up from $1.5 million in February. Monmouth Park followed FanDuel with $986,251.

“Online sports betting will continue to drive the market, and product innovations will likely bear much more fruit in the near future,” Gouker said. “New Jersey’s sportsbooks already offer the most advanced online product of any legal sports betting jurisdiction, and bettors have continually responded.”

PointsBet Announces Good Karma Payout, Refunds Bettors on Duke vs. UCF Game

Top-tier sportsbook operator PointsBet today announced a Good Karma Payout in response to last night’s Duke vs. UCF game, after a dramatic, unexpected and heartbreaking ending with a missed tip-in by Aubrey Dawkins, that led the Duke on a continued path for the championship. PointsBet’s Good Karma Payout has refunded all UCF moneyline bets in the form of bonus bets as part of the payout.

Good Karma Payout, which provides bettors relief in the event of unlikely circumstances that sway the fate of the game, is yet another feature in PointsBet’s offering that proves the company has the back of the bettor. The sportsbook is also offering refunds to sports fans who backed UCF via other sportsbooks and didn’t receive refunded wagers on the game. Bettors will just need to sign up with code KARMA and send PointsBet their bet slip through social media to receive up to $100 in bonus bets.

“PointsBet’s Karma Kommittee knew this morning’s meeting was going to be eventful following last night’s heart-wrenching finish,” said PointsBet U.S. CEO Johnny Aitken. “We know how wildly disappointing a loss like that feels, and we’re here to have the back of all bettors when the outcome of a game just isn’t fair. This Good Karma Payout gives bettors a chance to redeem themselves as March Madness continues on.”

PointsBet has previously announced Good Karma Payouts as a result of the Karma Kommittee meetings, most recently for the Duke vs. UNC game, where Zion Williamson left with an ankle injury after 33 seconds. The Karma Kommittee also refunded all bets in January’s notorious blown pass interference call in the Saints vs. Rams NFC Championship game.

To begin betting with PointsBet, visit www.PointsBet.com. New customers will receive a free $25 bonus bet (no deposit required). In addition, new users will be given the opportunity to place two risk-free bets, with coverage up to $1,000. Customers will have up to $500 in losses covered for both their first traditional wager and their first PointsBetting wager, designed to give bettors a chance to try out PointsBet’s signature offering risk-free.

DraftKings Finds Another Partner With A Million Dollars At Stake

By @TheDailyPayoff

You have to give it to DraftKings for looking high and low to find not just the bigger partnerships, but the most creative niche ones to draw attention in their Mano a Mano battle with Fan Duel as leaders in daily pay sports fantasy.

It’s latest partnership came Tuesday, when DK joined forces with another “disruptor” in sports, the Boston-based, The Basketball Tournament (TBT), a single-elimination, five-on-five, winner-take-all, open-application tournament.

The pair joined forces to come up with a promotional partnership for their 2015 event, which runs in July and August on ESPN (another DraftKings partner by the way). One of the 96 teams will get some elite status as being the “official” DK entry in the field.

Here’s how it works according to the press release: In order to win the DraftKings sponsorship, teams and their fans will compete in a DraftKings daily fantasy game centered on the NBA Conference Finals. Whichever fan or TBT participant wins the contest will also win a premium experience for himself or herself, a guest, and each member of his or her team.

The DraftKings sponsorship package includes travel to a region of the team’s choice, DraftKings-sponsored uniforms, and an apparel package from other official TBT providers, including Rock ‘Em Socks and iSlides. The uniform sponsorship represents a first for DraftKings and a first for TBT as well.

The interesting aspect of the partnership is its ties to the play in the NBA Conference Finals. This way a wide number of the participants ( 96 teams in the field when it is unveiled) makes for a solid growth pattern for a sport – hoops – that is not as much in the DK sweet spot as say baseball or the NFL. It also gives DK visibility in July when fans might be away from pay fantasy and are getting ready to gear up for NFL, which remains the big money area for pay fantasy.

“Our business is built around the passion of sports fans. The idea that anyone can build and be part of a championship team in The Basketball Tournament aligns perfectly with our DFS offering,” said Jeremy Elbaum, Vice President of Business Development at DraftKings in the release. “At DraftKings, any given day someone could skillfully create the perfect line-up and become a millionaire.”

In 2015, The Basketball Tournament will have 96 teams playing for a winner-take-all prize of $1 million. Opening rounds begin July 10-12 at regional sites in Los Angeles and Atlanta and continue July 17-19 in Chicago and Philadelphia with the winners playing down to an August 2 final in New York. ESPN’s platforms will carry a bulk of the early round games, with the semi-finals and finals airing live on ESPN as previously reported.

The question looms will this type of promotion change the game for Draft Kings? No. However like some of their other niche partnerships they are showing creativity and flexibility that brings casual sports fans to their platform and helps increase brand loyalty overall. Every time they touch a fan in a sport they are interested, they have a chance at conversion and for sure anyone interested in TBT is a core hoops fan or participant. It is low cost, with a chance at solid impact for DraftKings, and a nice talking point for an event looking to find its footing, a solid bet on a partnership for all involved.

The Daily Payoff

Your Source for Gaming Business News