Monday, June 8, 2026

DraftKings Invests In Vivid Seats SPAC

  • DraftKings is investing in a SPAC that is set to take Vivid Seats public.
  • The company has already made $1.7 billion in investments this year.
draftkings_logo_on_wall
DraftKings/Design: Alex Brooks

DraftKings is buying into Horizon Acquisition Corp., a SPAC on the verge of taking Vivid Seats public.

The sports betting giant is taking on part of the commitment made by Eldridge Investments, a firm founded by Los Angeles Dodgers owner Todd Boehly. Eldridge is also an investor in DraftKings.

  • The SPAC merger, agreed to in April, values the combined company at around $1.95 billion.
  • The transaction will provide $769 million in cash and stock to Vivid Seats, $225 million of which will come from a private investment in public equity (PIPE). DraftKings is participating in the PIPE.
  • DraftKings is purchasing stock in the SPAC at $10 per share. It has the option to sell shares back to Eldridge at $9.77 per share a year after the merger is completed.

DraftKings has piled up around $1.7 billion in acquisitions this year, primarily from its $1.6 billion purchase of Golden Nugget Online Gaming in August. 

It also acquired sports betting broadcast network VSiN in March, iGaming company BlueRibbon in April, and legal-tech company LinkSquares in July.

Sports betting operator Entain is mulling a $22.4 billion acquisition offer from DraftKings.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Sign up for
The Memo Newsletter

Get the biggest stories and best analysis on the business of sports delivered to your inbox twice every weekday and twice on weekends.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Lee Corso puts on the Brutus helmet as he makes his final pick between Kirk Herbstreit and Pat McAfee prior to the NCAA football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Texas Longhorns at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025.
exclusive

Pat McAfee in Early Extension Talks With ESPN

McAfee’s current five-year deal with ESPN isn’t up until 2028.
Reuters FILE PHOTO: Kalshi logo appears in this illustration created on April 22, 2026.

DraftKings Cofounder ‘Loves’ Prediction Markets Despite Attacks

Matt Kalish credits Kalshi with fighting legal and regulatory battles for the entire industry.
DraftKingsApp

DraftKings Cofounder: Kalshi Is Years Away From Competitive Product

Kalshi responded with a gif from the movie “Mean Girls.”
May 9, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Sports are shown on TVs behind the bar as guests enjoy the grand opening of DraftKings Sports & Social in the Short North. Though there are no on-site betting windows, eligible customers can place bets through the DraftKings app.

Gambling Layoffs Pile Up As Sports Betting Industry Recalibrates

Penn Entertainment headlines three companies with layoffs this week.

Featured Today

Ai sports slop

How Sports Became Ground Zero for AI Slop

The category is the perfect breeding ground for AI content churn.
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup - UEFA Qualifiers - Group A - Germany v Luxembourg - Rhein-Neckar-Arena, Sinsheim, Germany - October 10, 2025 Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann
June 4, 2026

‘Weird Corners of the World’: How to Find a World Cup Coach

National associations look for a winning record—and also hope for serendipity.
June 3, 2026

The Elite High Schools Hosting World Cup Teams

Spain, Morocco, Croatia, and Switzerland chose schools as their tournament base camps.
Frances Cabral-Delaney
May 29, 2026

How Arsenal Fandom Went ‘Manic’

“People do not become Arsenal fans because it’s easy,” says Zohran Mamdani.

Tottenham Boardroom Rivalry Ends With Former Chairman’s Exit

Spurs say they “don’t know anything about” the deal.
Casey Wasserman, Chairperson and President of LA28, during the media conference celebrating the 1000-day countdown to LA28 at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, Monday, Oct. 20, 2025.
May 8, 2026

Wasserman Buyers Narrow as PE Conflicts Sideline Major Firms

Private-equity firm TA Associates has removed itself from the running.
Charlie Pliner and Nikolas Rohrmann
May 22, 2026

How 2 Brown Undergrads Became Sports Dealmakers

An experimental project turned into a permanent course and business deal network.
Sponsored

Landon Donovan: What Soccer in America Still Needs

Landon Donovan discusses the evolution of soccer in America and investing in the NWSL.
April 23, 2026

Want to Own a 100-Year-Old Austrian Soccer Team for $500?

Vestible’s first team is Kapfenberger SV 1919.
April 16, 2026

How Taylor Swift’s Catalog Led Her Former Label Boss Into Sports

Scott Borchetta profited greatly from the sale of Swift’s masters.
John and Louis Antonelli
exclusive
April 13, 2026

Chernin Group Leads Funding Round in Social Box Score App ‘Real’

The app combines live stats and play-by-play with a social media experience.
Jack Nicklaus speaks to media prior to the start of the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio on May 27, 2025.
March 27, 2026

Jack Nicklaus Re-Acquires Nicklaus Companies After Lawsuit

Nicklaus takes back ownership of marks like the iconic Golden Bear.