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FanDuel, BetMGM Land Big Partnerships In Massachusetts

Flores Brian

Updated as of March 8, 2023 at 10:55 AM EST. Read time: 2 minutes and 61 seconds. Links to Twitter and Google News provided.

Xander Bogaerts of the Boston Red Sox is congratulated by teammates after scoring a J.D. Martinez two-run double in the fourth inning against the Kansas City Royals.
Xander Bogaerts of the Boston Red Sox is congratulated by teammates after scoring a J.D. Martinez two-run double in the fourth inning against the Kansas City Royals. Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images/AFP.

In the week before online sports betting was set to launch in the Bay State, two prominent sports betting sites emerged as frontrunners, surprisingly excluding Boston’s DraftKings.

Massachusetts is set to launch online sports betting on Friday at 10 a.m. ET, and both FanDuel and BetMGM have unveiled significant deals in preparation for the launch.

On Monday, it was announced that FanDuel has entered into a multi-year sponsorship agreement with New England Sports Network (NESN), making FanDuel the primary sportsbook partner for NESN’s Red Sox and Bruins game day coverage. The partnership will include commercials, in-game sponsorships, and pre-game features showcasing FanDuel, allowing New England sports fans to access the sportsbook’s odds, insights, and content from the comfort of their own homes.

NESN and FanDuel will collaborate on NESNBets.com, providing New England fans with odds, news, and information for a second screen experience alongside the live broadcast partnership. FanDuel will have prominent placement on the site, in addition to the broadcast integrations.

FanDuel has entered into its inaugural media partnership in the Massachusetts sports betting market, following its recent appointment as a co-exclusive official sports betting partner of Major League Baseball (MLB) alongside BetMGM.

This week, BetMGM also grabbed attention by revealing a deal on Tuesday to become the Official Sports Betting Partner of the Boston Red Sox, a cherished franchise in baseball. As part of the agreement, BetMGM branding will be displayed at Fenway Park, including on the iconic left field wall famously known as the Green Monster.

BetMGM will offer VIP fan experiences at the stadium, featuring special access to batting practice, premium seats, appearances by alumni, and ceremonial first pitches. Additionally, co-branded content will be shared on both the Red Sox’s and BetMGM’s digital and social platforms.

This partnership marks BetMGM’s inaugural collaboration with a Massachusetts sports team and its sixth alliance with an MLB team. Among its current partnerships with MLB franchises, the deals with the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates enhance its presence in the Ohio and Pennsylvania sports betting markets. Additionally, BetMGM already operates a retail sportsbook at MGM Springfield, allowing it to accept bets in Massachusetts since January 31.

The MA online sports betting landscape

Both of these partnerships appear to be a direct challenge to Boston-based DraftKings, as two top sportsbooks have secured important deals right in its own territory.

Even though DraftKings is headquartered in Boston, FanDuel stood out to NESN as the top sports betting site in the US due to its significant market share, capturing about half of the visible market. DraftKings and BetMGM are the only other platforms with a substantial share, while popular operators like Caesars and Barstool Underscoreg have less than 10% market share each.

The Barstool brand may be able to leverage its Boston origins, as the Barstool Sports media site originated from founder Dave Portnoy distributing free copies of his original gambling publication around the city, including on the T and at other public locations.

The retail sportsbook at Plainridge Park Casino, branded with Barstool, is one of the many retail sports betting sites in Massachusetts. This presence allows the brand to attract attention and gain traction in the market.

DraftKings is one of seven operators ready to launch online sports betting in Massachusetts this week, alongside Betr and WynnBET. In addition to targeting Massachusetts bettors, DraftKings can also attract those who venture into New Hampshire to place bets at its three physical sportsbooks. Furthermore, DraftKings already has partnerships with local teams such as the Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, and New England Patriots.

As March Madness begins and Massachusetts launches online sports betting, the state’s sportsbook promotions are ready for the taking. Caesars has released its mobile sportsbook app in Massachusetts for download, and DraftKings is offering new users a prelaunch promotion where anyone who registers on their website or mobile app can receive up to $200 in bonus bets.

The population of Massachusetts is roughly one-third the size of the New York sports betting market and about half the size of the Pennsylvania sports betting market, both of which are the largest states in the U.S. with legal digital wagering. With mobile sportsbooks in Massachusetts poised to dominate the state’s betting market, the impact of major deals signed by industry giants remains to be seen.

Written By:
Flores Brian
Grant is a former junior B ice hockey player, and a current believer that the Washington Capitals’ aging core still has another Cup run left in the tank. Grant’s owned and operated his own marketing agency since shortly after graduating from Virginia Tech in 2014. He pursued the profession because he figured it’d be a great way to get paid to do something he loves to do, write. After years of hammering puck lines and leading his fantasy football league as Commissioner, Grant started writing about sports betting and the casino gaming industry in 2021 and hasn’t looked back.