DraftKings recently announced it is now the WNBA’s second sports betting and daily fantasy sports partner along with its industry-leading rival, FanDuel.
DraftKings Hops Aboard WNBA Mania
WNBA fans will be seeing more of DraftKings after the Boston-based bookmaker signed a partnership deal with the women’s professional basketball league. A press release stated the company would receive “increased media exposure” from the league and a sponsorship agreement on the “WNBA Postseason Push” now that the deal has been inked.
Matt Kalish, President of DraftKings North America, said: “The WNBA has seen tremendous growth, which continues to be a bright spot in the sports world. We are proud to support the league in its efforts to continue expanding the game.
“It is a priority for us to deliver the most engaging WNBA content to DraftKings’ platforms and through our collaboration with the WNBA this season, we will be able to enhance the experience for millions of our customers and WNBA fans.”
The deal will bolster DraftKings’ coverage and fan immersion into WNBA games including features such as league data feeds to support DK’s “gameplay experience” along with access to the league and its 12 franchises’ intellectual property.
WNBA Sees Soaring Ratings
The WNBA has seen its ratings soar this season with the debut of its standout rookie and the most prolific college basketball scorer of all time, Caitlin Clark. But while Clark leads the league in assists, fellow rookie Angel Reese leads the WNBA in rebounds, which has been driving ratings through the roof this year.
According to ESPN, the WNBA has averaged 1.32 million viewers per game through June which is a year-over-year increase of over 300% while merchandise sales have spiked 236% compared to the previous season. Not surprisingly, Clark and Reese’s jerseys are No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in terms of sales this season.
Strategic Partnerships
Colie Edison, WNBA Chief Growth Officer, added: “The WNBA is growing and expanding across the board, and partnering with industry leaders like DraftKings enables us to offer WNBA fans additional ways to engage with their favorite teams and players, responsibly and with integrity.
“This opportunity for DraftKings to lean in with us to support women’s sports will welcome more fans to the WNBA. We’re looking forward to working alongside DraftKings to further enhance innovation and equity in women’s sports.”
Before the current craze even took hold, the league signed a 10-year, $2.2 billion deal, for media rights with Amazon, NBC, and Disney. That deal was signed in conjunction with the NBA’s media deals as the NBA owns 60% of the WNBA. But now that viewership this season has skyrocketed, some believe the deal undervalued the women’s professional basketball league.
Carmichael Jackson, executive director of the WNBA players’ union, said, “We have wondered for months how the NBA would value the WNBA in its media rights deal. With a reportedly $75 billion deal on the table, the league is in control of its own destiny. More precisely, the NBA controls the destiny of the WNBA.
“We look forward to learning how the NBA arrived at a $200 million valuation- if initial reports are accurate or even close. Neither the NBA nor the WNBA can deny that in the last few years, we have seen unprecedented growth across all metrics, the players continue to demonstrate their commitment to building the brand, and that the fans keep showing up. There is no excuse to undervalue the WNBA again.”
