With the NFL season kicking off on Thursday, NBC Sports hopes that the demand for advertising slots on its Sunday Night Football show will be strong this season.
Earlier this year, sportsbook operators including Caesars Entertainment, FanDuel, and DraftKings signed an agreement with NFL to be the official sportsbook partners. Other sportsbook operators including, BetMGM, PointsBet, WynnBet, and FOXBet have also been issued the same rights.
This is the first time a popular sports league in the US is allowing betting-related advertisements to run during games. Football is the most wagered sport in the US, and Sunday Night Football has consistently been one of the top-rated sports show.
In online sportsbook operations, customer retention and acquisition are very important. And the cost involved in doing so isn’t cheap.
On Sunday Night Football show, sportsbook operators eager to reach out to a large sports viewers had to pay nearly $712, 300 for an ad in the 2019-20 season.
Gaming companies could be scrabbling for these spots this year, given that the league stipulates rules that only a maximum of six gambling advertisements in a game.
The gaming operators who are signing up for Sunday Night Football ads are yet to mention. But according to Dan Lovinger, the executive president of advertising sales for NBC Sports, majority of sportsbook operators have expressed interest.
