As sports betting has exploded nationwide since 2018—it’s now legal in 38 states, along with the District of Columbia—so has the industry’s status in the sponsorship world, where the nascent category has become an ever-evolving and highly competitive market. 

The sports betting sponsorship landscape has undergone a seismic shift in recent years. In 2019, more than 135 brands were buying sports betting and daily fantasy sponsorships, averaging 3 endorsement deals per brand. Today, that number has surged 295% to nearly 550 brands, which now average 5 sponsorships each—an astonishing trajectory that both illustrates the sector’s lightning-fast expansion and showcases the intensifying competition among deep-pocketed brands as they vie for visibility.

DraftKings and FanDuel continue to dominate this hyper-competitive field, each having expanded its sponsorship portfolio by more than 75% since 2019. The emergence of hungry new players like PrizePicks—whose sponsorship deals have multiplied by more than 300% since 2022—continues to stoke the flames of competition in the market. This influx of challenger brands is reshaping how sponsorships are activated, as innovative strategies and data-driven insights play a crucial role in cultivating audience attention and engagement. Notably, the strategy of allocating more than 35% of ads to pre-broadcast slots by brands like DraftKings contrasts with the broader trend of relegating just 20% to such placements, highlighting two distinct approaches to maximizing impact.

These sponsorships’ distribution across US major pro sports leagues also provides key insights into the strategic focus of betting brands. The NFL and NHL lead the pack with about 27% of sponsorships each, followed by the NBA, MLB, and MLS, reflecting not only these leagues’ popularity and viewership patterns—this year’s NHL Playoffs broadcast audience increased 65% over 2023—but also the tactical alignment of sponsorship opportunities with audience demographics and peak engagement periods. As the category continues to evolve, comprehensive sponsorship databases and analytics platforms can offer brands the competitive intelligence necessary to navigate this dynamic marketplace, optimize their activations, and forge more meaningful connections with fans.

On January 8th, 2022, online sports betting was legalized in New York. Big companies like DraftKings and FanDuel quickly launched earning an estimated $91.4 million in revenue through the first 16 days according to legalsportsreport.com. DraftKings has the most partnership deals in the betting services / DFS space. FanDuel ranks #4 according to the SponsorUnited platform.

DraftKings leads the way in the category having the most active deals in the New York market. This includes deals with the New York Giants and New York Mets. In 2021, DraftKings had a 56% increase YOY sponsorship increase while having 85+ deals within 30+ leagues. The most common assets bought besides use of marks, is social media posts 57% of the time, and event content/activation 41%.

Betway ranks #2 in this category having more deals internationally than in the United States. Betway has 19 deals in the UK, 10 deals in Germany and 18 deals in the United States. 13 of the deals in the United Kingdom are with the Premier League. Their largest deal is with West Ham United which includes 12 unique sponsorship assets, this is 10 more than the Totthenham Hotspurs.

After having a deal with the Pat McAfee Show since 2019, FanDuel signed the podcast to a mega deal at roughly $30 million/year according to multiple reports. With online betting now legal in New York state, the New York market is tied with Pittsburgh as FanDuel's top market. 57% of the brands sponsorship deals are with the 5 Major Pro Sports in the United States.

In total, there is currently over 320 active brands buying sponsorship or media within the betting services & DFS categories while each brand averages 7 deals.

The Houston Dynamo of the MLS and their sister team the Houston Dash in the NWSL have signed a deal with Fubo Gaming, the betting subsidiary of FuboTV. This partnership marks the first deal for Fubo Gaming in the MLS but also rumored to be the most lucrative partnership ever for an MLS club coming in at nearly $180 Million.

The partnership makes the brand the Official Sports Betting Partner of both clubs and the FuboTV logo will be featured on both of the teams training kits during the 2022 season. The agreement also includes branding and signage through the club’s home field, PNC Stadium, as well as promotions on the teams social media channels and podcasts. The two organizations will work together to support community initiatives throughout the duration of the partnership.

The deal within the MLS marks Fubo Gaming's 3rd Major Pro Sports League deal in the US. According to SponsorUnited data, they currently have a deal in the NFL with the New York Jets. This deal includes naming rights to a lounge now named the Fubo Sportsbook Lounge. In addition, the brand has a deal with the NBA as an authorized gaming partner which allowed them to sign a multi-year deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers.