We’ve seen some interesting moves from FanDuel over the last while, including adding new gambling shows on their affiliated TVG network and signing deals to stream tennis and Bundesliga matches in their betting app. And now, they’re partnering with a streaming TV provider. That would be “sports-first cable replacement product” fuboTV. The two sides announced Thursday that they’ve signed a wide-ranging deal, which covers advertising, addition of channels TVG and TVG2 (also owned by FanDuel Group), and “betting data integrated on the fubo platform.”Here’s more from the release:
Today, FanDuel Group and fuboTV announced a partnership in New Jersey that will make FanDuel Group the exclusive sportsbook, online casino, horse racing and DFS partner of the live TV streaming service. The companies have also signed a media buy which will make FanDuel the exclusive advertiser on fuboTV in these categories.The agreement is FanDuel Group’s first strategic partnership with a third-party over-the-top (OTT) internet television service and will expand fuboTV’s sports offering for consumers when FanDuel’s betting data is integrated on the fubo platform in the coming weeks. Additionally, TVG and TVG2, America’s horse racing network and an affiliate of FanDuel Group, will also be available to fuboTV subscribers nationwide.…“We’re partnering with fuboTV to demonstrate how FanDuel can enhance the live viewing experience by allowing cord-cutting sports fans to view the content that matters to them the most from their TV, phone, tablet or computer,” said Adam Kaplan, FanDuel VP of Content Business & Operations. “fuboTV is a sports-centric company, focused on live sports and entertainment content, making them a natural partner. By integrating our odds and data on fuboTV’s platform, we are truly changing the way people watch live sports.”“We are always looking for ways to add value for consumers and enhance their premium experience with fuboTV,” said Min Kim, fuboTV VP of Business Development. “Gaming and sports are natural complements, and fuboTV’s industry-leading product offerings will be further enriched with FanDuel’s innovative entertainment solutions. We’re thrilled to select FanDuel as our partner – the first deal of its kind between a virtual MVPD and a gaming company – and integrate their products into fuboTV.”
The exclusive ad buy and the TVG addition (TVG proper will be in the fubo base package, which costs $54.99 a month after a seven-day free trial, while TVG2 will be in the Sports Plus tier, which is an extra $8.99 a month for a package of more than 20 additional channels) are the most tangible aspects of this right now, but the most unusual thing here may be the data integration both sides are talking about. Per a source, that integration can come in different ways, from betting data appearing on fubo’s own channels (fuboTV Network and fubo Cycling) to TVG and TVG2 to non-channel parts of the platform such as content details pages. And that part of the deal is only for New Jersey at first, but fubo’s looking at doing something similar in other states with legalized sports gambling down the road.
This partnership is notable on a number of levels. First, it’s interesting to see another betting company sign a deal as an “official partner” of a content provider; Caesars did this recently with ESPN (“official odds data supplier“) and Turner/Bleacher Report (“groundbreaking relationship“). It’s also significant that fuboTV has parts of this deal focused on its own content, from integrated data to advertising and sponsorships on its own channels; they’re a provider of a lot of channels they don’t own, but they also have in-house channels and angles. The addition of TVG and TVG2 matters as well, and perhaps shows some growing demand for those channels as they push into more general sports gambling coverage and expand beyond the horse racing content many originally knew them for.
