Continuing to make their mark as a groundbreaking wrestling organization and sports entertainment entity, WWE announced a new and historic partnership with sports gaming giant, DraftKings, on March 29th, 2021. The partnership makes DraftKings WWE’s first-ever sports betting/gaming partner and will mark the first-time DraftKings is offering free-to-play pools for any sort of wrestling betting. The kick-off for the WWE/DraftKings partnership will be around WrestleMania 37 with a free-to-play pool. With the announcement, WWE now joins the NFL, MLB, and PGA Tour as being official sports leagues to partner with DraftKings.
The WWE/DraftKings release reads as follows:
BOSTON & STAMFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–DraftKings (Nasdaq: DKNG) and WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced that DraftKings will become an Official Gaming Partner of WWE, subject to regulatory approval in all applicable jurisdictions. The collaboration centers on DraftKings’ popular free-to-play pools product and will launch with an inaugural free-to-play pool at WWE’s two-night pop culture extravaganza, WrestleMania, on April 10 and 11.
“As a cultural icon and incredible sports and entertainment company, we are thrilled to join forces with WWE and introduce its devoted fanbase to the DraftKings brand,” said Ezra Kucharz, Chief Business Officer at DraftKings. “This relationship helps fuel the engagement and drama of WWE’s signature matchups and storylines as audiences enjoy the second-screen experiences our products provide.”
Pursuant to the agreement with WWE, DraftKings will receive an exclusive license to media assets and in-game branding for WWE pay-per-view events. Additionally, both WWE fans and DraftKings customers will be able to participate in a number of integrated, free-to-play pools contests and products and experience digital promotion and program integration.
“We’re excited to enter this new agreement that makes DraftKings WWE’s first-ever free to play gaming partner,” said Stephanie McMahon, WWE Chief Brand Officer. “This collaboration marks a significant step in deepening engagement with our passionate fans and will provide DraftKings the opportunity to leverage the massive appeal and reach of the WWE brand.”
WrestleMania will take place Saturday, April 10 and Sunday, April 11 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, and stream live exclusively on Peacock at 8 pm ET in the United States and on WWE Network everywhere else.
More information about DraftKings is available at www.draftkings.com. DraftKings’ line of products are available via iOS and Android here.
Launched in 2012, DraftKings is described as a “digital sports entertainment and gaming company created to fuel the competitive spirits of sports fans with products that range across daily fantasy, regulated gaming and digital media.” The only U.S.-based vertically integrated sports betting operator, DraftKings is also a “multi-channel provider of sports betting and gaming technologies, powering sports and gaming entertainment for 50+ operators across more than 15 regulated U.S. and global markets.” DraftKings is available in eight countries internationally with 15 distinct sports categories.
While this is not the first time WWE and DraftKings have engaged (pick ’em contests for WrestleMania have been going on for several years dating back to WrestleMania 35 as well as recently with NXT and other major PPV pick ’em contests as well), this new partnership is one that looks to be beneficial for both parties. As DraftKings continues to grow its presence as the premier sports gaming/betting platform, engaging WWE’s wide base of followers offers promise. For WWE, adding sports gaming/betting to their many offerings adds just one more layer to the company’s efforts to create more interactive content and opportunities for fans. It very well could even bring back lapsed fans who may rediscover WWE thanks to the reach and platform within the sports world that DraftKings will surely provide. Whatever the case, fans can compete in the official WWE/DraftKings WrestleMania pool this April.
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