BetMGM, the digital sports betting and iGaming unit of MGM Resorts, has been designated as an Official Sports Betting Partner of the National Football League (NFL) in Canada.
The pact, announced today, is only the second of its kind involving a US-based sportsbook operator partnering with NFL Canada.
The pro football league’s Canadian segment announced in February that ProLine+, an iGaming and sports betting firm headquartered in Ontario, was its inaugural Canadian sports betting partner. FanDuel was named the first US-based sports betting partner of NFL Canada last month.
The BetMGM agreement highlights the NFL seeking to further expand its reach north. The development also coincides with legal online casino sites and mobile sportsbooks commencing operations in Ontario earlier this year.
Expanding our partnership with the NFL into Canada sets the stage for amazing opportunities as we begin the upcoming football season,” said BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt. “We’re already seeing great interest from our Ontario customers and this collaboration truly elevates the BetMGM experience.”
BetMGM was among the first sportsbook operators to partner with the NFL. The digital and retail sportsbook company became an Official Sports Betting Partner of the NFL in the US a year ago this month.
The NFL earlier selected Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, and FanDuel as its initial sports betting partners. FOX Bet, WynnBet, and PointsBet have also since gained such recognition.
Canadian Partnership Privileges
The NFL says BetMGM becoming an official sports betting partner of the league in Canada will afford the operator numerous marketing advantages.
The sportsbook will be allowed to use official NFL logos and trademarks in Canada and advertise on NFL-operated digital platforms. BetMGM is additionally allowed to run in-game television commercials during NFL broadcasts in Canada, and tap into official league statistical data.
BetMGM will also be allowed to offer its Canadian customers exclusive NFL experiences.
Gavin Kemp, senior director of corporate partnerships for NFL Canada, says the BetMGM pact will only help further grow the game and the league’s popularity up north.
NFL Gaining Popularity
After several years of ratings declines, Canadian television broadcasts of NFL games have made considerable gains in each of the past two years.
The NFL has long been more popular than the Canadian Football League, but has paled in comparison with the NHL and ice hockey. But NFL brass believes Canada is ripe for growth when it comes to interest in its sport.
Bell Media is the exclusive broadcaster of the NFL in Canada. Bell’s cable subsidiary TSN (The Sports Network) has aired NFL games since 1987. Bell broadcast network CTV has been airing NFL games since 2007.
In June, Bell expanded its NFL partnership to acquire RedZone — which had previously been exclusive to DAZN.
With legal sports betting now operational in Ontario, Canada’s most populated province, the NFL expects to see its ratings only further increase in Canada. The expansion of regulated sports wagering in the US has been credited for increased television ratings stateside.
Since the US Supreme Court in May 2018 punted the federal sports betting ban that had limited such gambling everywhere other than Nevada, the NFL has seen its viewership increase each year. During the 2021-22 regular season, the average NFL game attracted nearly 18 million viewers.
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