DraftKings signs-up Arsenal and Liverpool FC ahead of UK launch
Daily fantasy sports operator scores hat-trick of sponsorship deals with Watford FC joining Premier League giants
Daily fantasy sports (DFS) operator DraftKings has struck major sponsorship deals with three English Premier League football clubs ahead of its planned UK launch later this month.
DraftKings will become the official DFS partner for Arsenal, Liverpool and Watford, with the deals including in-stadium advertising, events and contests for fans, and joint promotions.
DraftKings chief exec Jason Robins said the operator would “bring a totally new experience” for UK sports fans by allowing them to test their skills at fantasy contests with the immediacy of daily play.
“Our ambition is to bring players as close to the action as possible, with all the information they need to assemble the best teams,” Robins said.
“To do that, we are partnering with some of the biggest names in football here in the UK,” he added.
The deals come after DraftKings said it would “probably” launch in the UK later this month, having postponed its go-live date twice already.
DraftKings obtained a licence from the UK Gambling Commission back in August, and at the same time named former director of poker at bwin.party Jeffrey Haas as its chief international officer.
Haas has been tasked with establishing a London office, and will lead the firm’s expansion into other markets in Europe and around the world.