DraftKings, the US fantasy sports and betting provider, is reportedly planning to launch a free video streaming service as it looks to boost its advertising revenue.
Citing sources close to the matter, US news outlet Bloomberg said the service will feature podcasts produced by the company and other original content. It could launch in the next few weeks, to attract new audiences and brand sponsorships.
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Responding to the report, DraftKings said: “Over the years, DraftKings has expanded its media footprint by securing top talent and trusted personalities across sports media, and we’ve begun the initial rollout of DK Network.”
The service appears to be already up and running on the DraftKings Nation website. The shows being featured include The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, the GoJo Show, and Baseball is Dead.
This latest move comes as DraftKings looks to ramp up its media activities, having acquired Sports Information Network (VSiN), a media company focused on sports betting shows in 2021. It also signed a partnership agreement with Meadowlark Media, the sports content startup by former ESPN president John Skipper and ESPN personality Dan LeBatard.
In the same year, DraftKings launched a channel on the SLING TV streaming service after striking a similar deal with DISH Network.
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By GlobalDataSince then, it has hired former Verizon executive Brian Angiolet to run its media arm and appointed former ESPN executive Stacie McCollum as head of programming.
The fantasy sports and betting firm has strong relationships in place with multiple top-tier US sports teams and leagues, including American football’s NFL, basketball’s NBA, ice hockey’s NHL, and baseball’s MLB.
It also has secured partnerships with Amazon’s Thursday Night Football and Churchill Downs, while it was reported late last year to be close to finalizing an exclusive sports betting partnership with major US broadcaster ESPN.
The news comes months after rival FanDuel announced its expansion into streaming via the FanDuel TV app, which features the new show ‘Up and Adams’ by longtime NFL Network anchor Kay Adams.
The fantasy sports firm also recently announced a deal to license video podcasts from the Ringer, a sports and pop culture media company owned by media giant Spotify. That deal has seen the two companies collaborate to create new sports shows and adapt select video podcasts for FanDuel TV.
FanDuel has emerged as a major competitor to DraftKings since it was acquired by Flutter for $4 billion in December 2020, with the pair looking to attract bettors in the more than 30 US states that have legalized online sports gambling.
Image: Scott Olson/Getty Images
