On March 3, Major League Baseball (MLB), the professional baseball organization and the world’s oldest respected sports league headquartered in New York, reported a new multi-year alliance with FanDuel, a flagship sports-tech entertainment company based in New York.
With this partnership, FanDuel’s leading sportsbook has officially become the official sports wagering partner of MLB.
Goals of the union:
Under the terms of the agreement, FanDuel will be authorized to use the official MLB brand and category marks equally in its products, involving the FanDuel Sportsbook, Daily Fantasy and FanDuel Faceoff platforms and in its marketing campaigns.
However, the company has collaborated with Major League Baseball as an authorized gaming operator since 2019.
With this new baseball season, the company will provide fans with closer viewing and betting options by streaming the Free Game of the Day on MLB.TV via FanDuel’s sportsbook application and on FanDuel’s OTT platform FanDuel+ (local blackout limitations apply).
It will also be authorized to use featured parts in the product and as part of primary programming on FanDuel TV.
The alliance will also offer new chances for MLB and FanDuel to cooperate on projects for other FanDuel and MLB platform sponsor partners and will delight fans with latest sports wagering product upgrades to ensure better fan engagement.
FanDuel supports the imperative to lead responsible gambling (RG) and safer gaming. In support of this fact, the company will continue these attempts regarding RG in this new alliance with MLB. Also, as part of this agreement, both companies intend to encourage greater advocacy and responsible awareness raising about the importance of RG.
Commenting on the partnership, Christian Genetski, president of FanDuel Group, said: “The baseball fan is one of the most engaged in all of sports, which is why we’re delighted to be the new sports betting partner of Major League Baseball. Our team is eager to showcase FanDuel in nationally broadcast MLB games and help enhance game narratives and bring America’s Pastime directly into our mobile app and OTT platform for fans to watch and wager.
“We’ 7BALL re also very excited about the opportunity to work together with MLB on new betting product innovations that will give customers the opportunity to enhance their experience on every pitch from March until October.”
A promise to encourage responsible gambling:
On the other hand, as FanDuel is the leading sports-tech entertainment company in North America, with this latest partnership, MLB wants to join forces with a company whose values support their own, which is responsible gambling.
MLB’s main goal is to make sure that fans who decide to bet also have the tools and resources necessary to bet responsibly. As such, MLB is a partner to the American Gaming Association’s (AGA) Have A Game Plan.® Bet Responsibly.™ public service campaign to educate fans and extend the league’s responsible gaming attempts.
However, MLB also has an extended union with the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), serving as a Platinum Member and a part of the group’s leadership circle.
Kenny Gersh, MLB’s Executive Vice President of Media & Business Development, added: “As one of the top sportsbooks in America, FanDuel has been an industry leader in innovative fan engagement opportunities while also reminding them of the importance of doing it responsibly.
“These key priorities of unique fan engagement and responsible gambling align with our focus from the league level and make FanDuel a natural partner to collaborate with as an Official Sports Betting Partner.”
