The NFL season is just two weeks old, and already there’s a big change – at least from the sports betting industry’s perspective.
On Sunday Night, BetMGM became the new sports betting sponsor for NBC Sports’ NFL coverage, debuting on the Sunday Night Football pre-game show. The joint venture between Entain and MGM Resorts International replaces PointsBet, the previous sponsor.
Bill King from Sports Business Journal was the first to break the news on Sunday, and he had reported earlier this month that PointsBet did not renew its sponsorship as an official sports betting partner with the NFL. That decision kept the Aussie-based operator from being a part of NBC’s primetime football coverage.
A spokesperson for BetMGM told Casino.org on Monday that the sponsorship will last through the rest of the season and additional details will be announced soon.
From National to Regional Focus
PointsBet’s decision to back away from the NFL sponsorship comes as it shifts its focus in marketing to US bettors. The company, though, remains a partner with NBC, which has an ownership stake through the five-year deal the two signed in 2020.
Executives provided details to investment analysts last month during the company’s quarterly financials call with investment analysts. PointsBet US CEO Johnny Aitken said the marketing spend with NBC will center on Peacock, the network’s streaming service, and its regional sports networks.
PointsBet is currently live in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Virginia. NBC has regional sports networks in California, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania.
This combination of regional assets continues to provide PointsBet with the ability to create bespoke marketing strategies to reach our target audience,” Aitken said on the Aug. 30 call.
Andrew Mellor, PointsBet’s CFO, told analysts that the company’s US marketing spend for this fiscal year will not exceed what the company spent in fiscal year 2022, which ended in June.
Content is Key for PointsBet
The shift to a regional focus isn’t the only adjustment PointsBet has made in recent weeks.
Earlier this month, the company unveiled a new e-newsletter, called Hustle, that it has created in partnership with Front Office Sports. Hustle is sent to PointsBet bettors three-times a week, and includes information on available bets for upcoming games.
While Hustle comes out every Sunday, Monday, and Thursday, the sportsbook has plans to send it out up to five times a week
PointsBet also has a new New York-based digital studio in the works where it plans to produce podcasts and other digital shows. Two weeks ago, PointsBet unveiled The Straight Line with Ryan Leaf, a show where the former college and pro quarterback talks about the latest news in football and betting trends.
Company leaders see developing content like Hustle and The Straight Line as a way to attract, engage, and retain bettors.
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