Sunday, May 31, 2026

DraftKings Leverages Custom Games to Drive Revenue and Acquisition

DraftKings - Sports - Business

Most company marketing KPIs today include some mixture of awareness and leads in the form of emails.

In fact, according to eMarketer, 80 percent of retail professionals indicate that email marketing is their greatest driver of customer retention.

DraftKings has been able to solve both goals for partners including the likes of Netflix’s Ozark and Marvel’s Venom, finding ways to drive awareness and engagement through custom branded games.

“DraftKings offers partners three things that set us apart from competitors: our customer base, an exclusive environment, and measurable results,” said Ezra Kucharz, Chief Business Officer at DraftKings
. “We offer brands their own personalized environment, whether this lives on our main page or we build out a separate hub just for them.”

One of the biggest draws for brands when it comes to working with DraftKings is the ability to have a complete share of voice inside the custom games that the company has the ability to create. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, the company is able to deliver custom solutions around their clients’ goals.

The exclusivity has allowed the company to collaborate with leading brands that include Jägermeister, Netflix, Buffalo Wild Wings and many more.

“Earlier this year, we partnered with Jägermeister for the 2018 World Cup, and we designed a new game, developed a content hub that hosted original content and provided up-to-date information on every athlete for our customers,” added Kucharz. “Our contests and site were fully customized to achieve Jägermeister’s goals.”

[mc4wp_form id=”8260″]

Not only have these partnerships padded the bottom line, they have also helped with customer acquisition.

A true partnership in all facets of the word, by involving external brands in their contests, DraftKings has used the partnerships to reach across industries and engage customers who might not be familiar with the brand.

“Branded contests and partnerships like these have been available to brands since our launch in 2012 and are a huge component of our business and customer acquisition process,” said Kucharz. “This amalgamation of complementary brands helps us leverage each other’s strengths and in turn gives sports fans a more holistic experience. Partnerships like these enable us to work creatively and provide brands with more opportunity to stand out while simultaneously growing both customer bases.”

Now nearly seven years old, DraftKings has worked with a bevy of partners over that time, all of them being aligned in one way: they are all mutually beneficial.

While an engaged audience is great, DraftKings’ biggest advantage when competing against other content and media providers might be its technology.

READ MORE: SeatGeek Knows It Has to be More Than a Consumer Brand

Not only is DraftKings technology a competitive advantage, it is also the area in which the company can arguably scale the easiest, which is the most exciting part for Kucharz.

“We currently design custom games for brands that do not have the backend tech capabilities, nor the user base. Since we built our tech to scale, we can continuously create partnerships like these and make them bigger and better over time. We’re only in the infancy of what and how we can work with potential partners as we continue to grow and scale our platforms.”

Although DraftKings might be looking for your gaming and fantasy dollars, it also has the results to prove worthy of having your ad dollars.

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

Frances Cabral-Delaney

How Arsenal Fandom Went ‘Manic’

“People do not become Arsenal fans because it’s easy,” says Zohran Mamdani.
Mar 3, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) warms up prior to the game against the Washington Wizards at Kaseya Center.

Feds Say Terry Rozier Took $70K Bribe in Sports Betting Case

Rozier’s attorney says it’s “all just a misplaced effort to make something stick.”
May 23, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Fans participate in a tarp off during a MLB game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Texas Rangers at Angel Stadium

‘Tarps Off’: How Shirtless Fans Took Over MLB

The viral movement began with the SFA club baseball team.
May 26, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives past San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) and Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) picks in front of San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (3) during the third quarter in game five of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center.
exclusive

Underdog Stands by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Promo

SGA’s attorney demanded Underdog “destroy” a board game poking fun at him.

Featured Today

Apr 6, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) walks to the on deck circle during the game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field

Why Ballparks Are Louder Than Ever

Some stadiums sound like veritable nightclubs. How did we get here?
May 24, 2026; Evanston, IL, USA; Northwestern Wildcats attack Kathryn Ratanaproeksa (13) shoots against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the first half at Martin Stadium
May 26, 2026

Can Women’s Lacrosse Buck the Trend in College Sports?

The sport is fighting to prove its worth in the revenue-sharing era.
May 22, 2026

Big Money on the Line on Premier League’s Final Day

Arsenal has won the title, but millions are still at stake.
Texas State mascot
May 22, 2026

Mascot-Reveal Videos Are the Newest College Sports Tradition

Student mascot unmasking videos are going mega-viral.

How Rolex Paved the Way for Luxury’s Love Affair With Tennis

“It’s almost impossible to think about tennis without thinking about Rolex.”
Athlos
May 4, 2025

Nike Wants to Pull Off the First Women’s Sub-4:00 Mile

Experts speak on whether Nike’s “moonshot” is realistic or a gimmick.
Jul 19, 2024; Phoenix, Ariz., United States; Sheryl Swoopes hosts a WBNA All-Star brunch in honor of her former teammate, Nikki McCray Penson, at Thea in Phoenix on July 19, 2024
May 12, 2025

Swoopes: A’ja Wilson Shoe Campaign Shows Nike Sea Change

Nike released the Air Swoopes in 1995.
Sponsored

The Hidden Economy of Race Weekend

Learn more about the Vintage Flying Museum and how Spectrum Business is helping them achieve their business goals while fueling their dreams.
Apr 12, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; MLB umpire Ron Kulpa (46) calls a third strike during a game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field
May 4, 2025

Lasik Is Trolling Refs and Offering Them Free Eye Surgery

Some pro officials have sprung for the offer for free corrective surgery.
January 15, 2025

State Farm Pulls Out of Super Bowl Ad Amid Fire Backlash

State Farm’s Super Bowl ad last year featured Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito.
Nov 25, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; From left: Scott Van Pelt, Ryan Clark, Jason Kelce and Marcus Spears on the ESPN Monday Night Football Countdown set before the game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium.
December 17, 2024

A ‘Wave’ of Sports Content Is Coming to TikTok

The next generation is consuming sports in a different way.
Apr 7, 2022; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Rory McIlroy (left) and Brooks Koepka set up to putt on no. 9 during the first round of The Masters golf tournament.
exclusive
November 27, 2024

PGA Tour vs. LIV Golf TV ‘Showdown’ Will Pay Out $10M Crypto Purse

Two golfers from each tour will face off in Las Vegas.