The NFL is one of the last major American sports leagues to sign official betting deals. It has announced three sportsbooks that will be its official betting partners. In exchange for the official league data, these bookies will promote their relationship with the league and tie their brands to game statistics. If the five-year deal holds, the NFL will get almost $1 billion. But the league can opt out after three years. If they are unable to meet their financial obligations, they can opt out.
According to a report from the sports information provider Sportradar, the NBA and MLB have been pushing to collect a percentage of sports betting handle from Las Vegas sportsbooks. The leagues have also approached the sportsbooks for additional fees. It is unclear whether these new agreements will have any impact on Genius Sports. This is the latest development in a long process, and the NFL and NBA are both seeking a new way to attract sports betting data partners.
The NFL’s latest move came just a few months before the start of the 2019 football season. The league has been locked in a data war with sportsbooks. Its latest move is to buy a stake in The Stars Group, a major sports betting operator. The new company will be called FOX Bet. It will be the first major broadcast network to launch a sports betting platform. Its initial focus will be on NFL games, though.