National Hockey League Announces First-ever North American Sports Betting Partner
NEW YORK (April 7, 2022) – The National Hockey League (NHL) today announced a new multiyear partnership deal, making FanDuel one of the first-ever North American sports betting partners of the NHL, as FanDuel expands their rights into Canada. Today’s announcement comes after the province of Ontario launched its regulated single-game sports betting market earlier this week.
As part of these expanded North American partnerships, FanDuel will have rights to use official NHL branding and category designations in a variety of ways to appeal to fans and sports betting customers in legal jurisdictions across Canada and the United States. FanDuel will also continue to receive custom content across NHL-controlled media channels and will be integrated into the NHL’s marquee events across North America, including camera-visible signage and on-site activation opportunities as well as premium hospitality solutions throughout the NHL season.
“Canada’s new sports betting landscape presents a tremendous opportunity to further fan engagement and continue our progressive approach with the sports gaming industry,” said Keith Wachtel, NHL Chief Business Officer and Senior Executive Vice President. “FanDuel was one of our first sports betting partners in the U.S., and we’re thrilled to expand our partnership with a leader in the sportsbook and mobile betting marketplace as we begin our transformative entry into this space in Canada and engage our avid Canadian fan base.”
“We are delighted to expand our partnership with the NHL to include all of North America as our business grows into Canada with the launch of the Ontario market,” said Amy Howe, CEO of FanDuel Group. “This partnership has allowed the NHL and FanDuel to collaborate and become true innovators in sports betting with initiatives like the NHL Network's first-ever Odds Ticker and custom NHL sports betting content for social media.”
FanDuel’s partnership extension with the NHL will focus on driving engagement with its Daily Fantasy offerings in the United States and Sports Betting offerings in the United States and Ontario by leveraging the NHL’s most prominent camera visible assets across its calendar of regular season tentpole events, as well as the Stanley Cup Playoffs. FanDuel will further utilize a portfolio of turnkey, event hospitality assets to drive deeper engagement with its customers.
Consistent with the NHL's own responsible gambling initiatives like "Have a Game Plan, Bet Responsibly," FanDuel shares the League’s priority of encouraging responsible gaming activity.
As the #1 mobile gaming operator, FanDuel believes it is critical to lead from the front on responsible gambling (RG) and safer play. In keeping with FanDuel Group’s reputation in North America for responsible gaming, safer play will be at the forefront of FanDuel’s entry into Canada. FanDuel will utilize their “Play Well” approach to make sure no wager placed on any platform results in hurting a loved one. For more information on FanDuel Group and the commitment to responsible play in Canada please visit https://www.fanduel.com/rg/canada and in the United States please visit https://www.fanduel.com/playwell.
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About the NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL®), founded in 1917, consists of 32 Member Clubs. Each team roster reflects the League’s international makeup with players from more than 20 countries represented, all vying for the most cherished and historic trophy in professional sports – the Stanley Cup®. Every year, the NHL entertains more than 670 million fans in-arena and through its partners on national television and radio; more than 191 million followers - league, team and player accounts combined - across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube; and more than 100 million fans online at NHL.com. The League broadcasts games in more than 160 countries and territories through its rightsholders including ESPN, Turner Sports and NHL NetworkMC in the U.S.; Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada; Viaplay in the Nordic Region; and CCTV and Tencent in China; and reaches fans worldwide with games available to stream in every country. Fans are engaged across the League’s digital assets on mobile devices via the free NHL® App; across nine social media platforms; on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio™; and on NHL.com, available in eight languages and featuring unprecedented access to player and team statistics as well as every regular-season and playoff game box score dating back to the League’s inception, powered by SAP. NHL Original Productions and NHL Studios produce compelling original programming featuring unprecedented access to players, coaches and League and team personnel for distribution across the NHL’s social and digital platforms.
The NHL is committed to building healthy and vibrant communities using the sport of hockey to celebrate fans of every race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status. The NHL’s Hockey Is For Everyone™ initiative reinforces that the official policy of the sport is one of inclusion on the ice, in locker rooms, boardrooms and stands. The NHL is expanding access and opportunity for people of all backgrounds and abilities to play hockey, fostering more inclusive environments and growing the game through a greater diversity of participants. To date, the NHL has invested more than $100 million in youth hockey and grassroots programs, with a commitment to invest an additional $5 million for diversity and inclusion programs over the next year.
About FanDuel Group
FanDuel Group is an innovative sports-tech entertainment company that is changing the way consumers engage with their favorite sports, teams, and leagues. The premier gaming destination in the United States, FanDuel Group consists of a portfolio of leading brands across gaming, sports betting, daily fantasy sports, advance-deposit wagering, and TV/media, including FanDuel, Stardust Casino, and TVG. As the leading online gaming operator, FanDuel believes it is critical to lead from the front on responsible gaming and safer play and employs a number of tools across its entire product portfolio to empower users to play safely. FanDuel Group has a presence across all 50 U.S. states and the Canadian province of Ontario with 17 million customers. The company is based in New York with offices in California, New Jersey, Florida, Oregon, Georgia, Edinburgh, Scotland and Toronto, Canada. FanDuel Group is a subsidiary of Flutter Entertainment plc, the world's largest sports betting and gaming operator with a portfolio of globally recognized brands and a constituent of the FTSE 100 index of the London Stock Exchange.
Media Contacts
Jennifer Neziol / NHL: jneziol@nhl.com
Brad Klein / NHL: bklein@nhl.com
Kevin Hennessy / Fan Duel: kevin.hennessy@fanduel.com