FanDuel and the Associated Press partner on betting data deal

In the latest example of gambling companies wading into the world of media and content, FanDuel has reached a deal with the Associated Press to be the service’s source of gambling odds, lines, props, and anything else that’s required.

The news was first reported by Sara Fischer at Axios (who’s having a heck of a day), and the importance of the deal for FanDuel is pretty easy to see: the AP is just about as widespread as it gets.

Via Axios, there are some caveats to the deal:

Under the terms of the agreement, the AP will include FanDuel sportsbook odds exclusively in its daily sports odds fixtures, game previews, and other sports stories where odds are mentioned.

FanDuel is paying the AP an undisclosed amount to be the AP’s exclusive partner.

FanDuel widgets will be integrated across the sports pages of APNews.com. Widgets will distribute select FanDuel content across the AP wire. AP will maintain full editorial control.

The AP will cite FanDuel odds as a single source in its copy when referring to betting odds and will hyperlink out to FanDuel’s home page, not to any of its betting pages. The company wants to steer clear from any direct affiliate marketing relationships.

“We want more context in our reporting,” says Barry Bedlan, AP’s global director of text and new markets products. “That’s ultimately what this is about.”

They won’t be in every single AP story that includes betting info, though, as some affiliates have already negotiated local deals, which will remain in effect:

AP’s customer base of media companies that license its content will have some flexibility around whether they wish to include hyperlinks to FanDuel. Some local media companies have their own partnerships with local sportsbooks, Bedlan notes.

FanDuel and rival DraftKings have clearly been positioning themselves in the media space of late. This is a predictable step, and one that FanDuel has to be happy about. And considering they’re getting paid to have FanDuel as the AP Style Gambling Partner, the Associated Press probably feels pretty good about the arrangement as well.

[Axios]