The National Hockey League’s Boston Bruins and sportsbook operator DraftKings, Inc., on Thursday unveiled the details of a new, multi-year marketing deal.
The partnership, financial terms of which were not disclosed, will make DraftKings the exclusive, official daily fantasy sports partner of the team and TD Garden, and the exclusive presenting sponsor of the Boston Bruins Foundation 50/50 charitable raffle.
The parties also agreed that DraftKings will be an official sports betting partner of the Boston Bruins and TD Garden, should sports betting become legal in Massachusetts.
Currently, DraftKings operates mobile sports betting in 15 states, including two states in New England: Connecticut and New Hampshire.
The new deal marks another strategic agreement with an NHL team for DraftKings. Company officials said it further advances DraftKings’ relationship with the league as an official daily fantasy partner and an official sports betting partner of the NHL.
DraftKings branding and content will be integrated throughout TD Garden. DraftKings has been granted premium, TV visible dasher board locations including on the Bruins offensive end on the side of the net – generating maximum TV exposure.
From doors opening until doors close, DraftKings will be granted 15 second full-screen, full-motion commercial sports and L-wrap banners on all 400+ TVs at the venue. As an addition to the prime, in-arena branding, DraftKings will be featured on the famous supersized, digital LED billboard facing inbound traffic into Boston’s TD Garden.
DraftKings and the Bruins said in a statement they will execute strategic digital and social media content as part of an ongoing effort to create the best possible viewing experience for fans while offering new and exciting ways to engage with the team. This will include DraftKings takeovers of the Bruins homepage, app integration and digital linkages to the DraftKings suite of products.
In addition, DraftKings and the Bruins will collaborate on a new content series hosted on Bruins social media channels inspired by daily fantasy engagement and exciting moments in the game. For example, followers will see pre-game polls asking fans to predict shots on goal, saves, highest point scorers, and more.
For each Bruins game, DraftKings will be the exclusive presenting sponsor of the Boston Bruins Foundation 50/50 Raffle. During 2021, the raffle is completely online, promoted through multiple Bruins social media channels. Going forward, DraftKings branding will be included in all signage used by the 50/50 ambassadors throughout TD Garden, and in two in-game promotional drops on the HDX video scoreboard. It also will be featured in the “Know Before You Go” email blasts posted pre-game across Bruins email and applicable digital and social media assets.
“We are thrilled to announce our latest team deal with the Boston Bruins, an exceptional team that like us is relentlessly focused on the fan,” Ezra Kucharz, chief business officer, DraftKings, said in a statement. “I am looking forward to seeing our partnership and branding greet fans wherever they are – online, through the premier Boston Bruins Foundation 50/50 raffle that galvanizes viewers while advancing fantastic charitable causes, and in-person, including with the iconic, supersized, digital LED billboard facing inbound traffic into Boston’s famed TD Garden.”
Cam Neely, Boston Bruins president, added: “The Boston Bruins are excited to announce this new partnership with DraftKings, a Boston-based company that has established itself as the premier hub for daily fantasy sports. We are looking forward to collaborating with DraftKings to continue to provide the best possible sports and entertainment experience for our fans at TD Garden.”
DraftKings describes itself as the only US-based, vertically integrated sports betting operator. The company is a multi-channel provider of sports betting and gaming technologies, powering sports and gaming entertainment for operators in 17 countries. DraftKings’ Sportsbook is live with mobile and/or retail betting operations in the United States pursuant to regulations in Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming. DraftKings’ daily fantasy sports product is available in six countries internationally with 15 distinct sports categories.
DraftKings is both an official daily fantasy and sports betting partner of the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, PGA TOUR and UFC, as well as an official daily fantasy partner of NASCAR.
