NASCAR is in advanced negotiations with DraftKings to join the daily fantasy sports operator's slate of games, and a deal could be announced in the next few days, according to industry sources. Financial or structural terms of the pending partnership are not yet known. But sources said the sanctioning body over the last several months has explored an entry into daily fantasy and talked with several parties before undertaking more serious talks with the Boston-based DraftKings. Officials for NASCAR and DraftKings declined comment. Among the details still likely unfinished in the DraftKings deal is the level of revenue sharing between individual race teams and NASCAR. A formal entry into the daily space for NASCAR would add to a user base of about 250,000 for its traditional fantasy game, which is available on NASCAR.com and the sanctioning body's app. Possibly indicating how close a deal is to being completed, a page under the header "Daily Fantasy NASCAR League Rules" could be accessed on DraftKings' website late last week, though it would quickly revert back to DraftKings' home page and could be viewed only via a screen-capture. The NASCAR alignment also extends a significant run of activity in recent weeks for DraftKings that includes a multiyear contract extension with MLB and a developing nine-figure equity investment and advertising deal with ESPN. The MLB deal in particular included a sharply increased level of activation and content integration compared with DraftKings' prior sports partnerships, and it is likely the company is pursuing a similar level of depth with NASCAR. The NASCAR deal also would be the latest move in the rush between DraftKings and chief rival FanDuel to sign partnerships with properties, leagues and media entities to grow their brands. FanDuel last week signed deals with 15 of 28 NFL teams eligible to participate in the daily fantasy category.
