Sportsbooks Could Spend $1B on Football Ads

With the NFL allowing sports betting ads for the first time, operators could spend up to $1 billion on football advertising this season.

The stigma surrounding betting is gone, according to FanDuel marketing executive Andrew Sneyd. The company launched its first national ad campaign with the aim of becoming “the next iconic sports brand in America.”

The NFL has signed deals with seven sportsbook operators: FanDuel, Caesars, DraftKings, FOX Bet, BetMGM, PointsBet, and WynnBet. The league’s TV partners will be able to sell up to six gambling spots per game.

• Sports marketer Bob Dorfman predicts operators will spend between $500 million and $1 billion on football ads this year. 
• FanDuel, Caesars, and DraftKings spent $314.6 million on ads last year, up from $84.1 million in 2019, according to Kantar Media.
• Pro and college football could attract more than $20 billion in bets, per PlayUSA. 

A record 45.2 million Americans are expected to bet on the new NFL season, per the American Gaming Association, up 36% from last year.

The influx of cash is welcome for media companies that have lost billions during the pandemic. CBS sales executive Tony Taranto calls gaming the “most significant new category in a generation.”