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By Torrey Hart
DraftKings and golfer Bryson DeChambeau have a new multi-year, exclusive agreement to make the 2020 U.S. Open champion the “face” of the company’s golf footprint.
As part of the integrated brand, content and marketing deal, DeChambeau’s signature golf cap will feature the DraftKings logo on the side beginning at the 2020 Masters.
“Professional golf has been a key growth sport in both daily fantasy and sports betting, and our collaboration with Bryson DeChambeau is a notable new layer of mainstream brand exposure and fan experience,” DraftKings CEO Jason Robins said in an announcement. “As one of golf’s most promising athletes and the current U.S. Open champion, DraftKings is strategically aligning with winning athletes like Bryson who embody and embolden the competitive fire of our customers.”
DeChambeau’s sponsorship will also include experience-based ways to engage fans, like playing a round of golf with him or receiving lessons.
Golf is DraftKings’ fourth most-popular sport for daily fantasy, and the golf sportsbook has grown ten-fold year-over-year, the company said. Excluding NFL games, the 2019 Masters ranked among the top five highest-bet sporting events on the platform.
“DraftKings has been at the forefront of innovation for how people experience golf, and the company continues to modernize the game through technology built by and for sports fans,” DeChambeau said. “The gaming industry has already helped golf reach broader audiences, and I am proud to work with DraftKings on boosting fan excitement and engagement in the game.”
Last month, DraftKings inked a deal with Turner Sports to become the exclusive sportsbook and daily fantasy sports providers across its non-NBA programming, which includes the PGA Tour. In early October, when the company announced a public offering of 32 million shares of Class A common stock, DraftKings forecasted marketing expenses to be at least $200 million in the third quarter.
With the Masters — normally held in April — delayed to November because of the COVID-19 pandemic and now overlapping with the NFL season, DraftKings is offering a $100,000 free-to-play pool that captures the action of both sports, marking the company’s first multi-sport pool.
