Daily fantasy sports operator Draft Ops has "signed a 3-year, mid-7 figure deal" with Barclays Center that includes sponsorship of the Islanders and their inaugural season in Brooklyn, according to Darren Heitner of FORBES. The deal provides Draft Ops with a "considerable amount" of on- and off-ice assets. It also "creates a Fantasy Sports Book within Barclays Center for all events." The Sports Book "will begin to be built out in September" and will be launched "in conjunction with Opening Day for the Islanders." However, the deal "does not come saddled with a sponsorship of the Nets," who also play at Barclays. FanDuel on Tuesday revealed that it has "signed a multi-year partnership with the Nets along with 12 other NBA teams." Knowing that the Nets were "out of reach, Draft Ops insisted that its deal with Barclays Center includes exclusivity for the arena." Thus, FanDuel is "limited to court-visible signage during Nets games, while Draft Ops will have the right to engage with fans face-to-face within its lounge in the main concourse and the plaza outside the arena" (FORBES.com, 6/24).
CONTENT IS KING? In this week's SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's, John Ourand reports Draft Ops "has signed on" to sponsor “The Rich Eisen Show” on DirecTV and NFL Now. The company "signed a three-year, seven-figure 'content integration' deal that will see Draft Ops introduced into the show’s content." DirecTV and Playbook Inc., which represents Eisen, "negotiated directly with executives from Draft Ops." Deal terms "will have traditional sponsorship features, with Draft Ops branding in the show’s green room." The daily fantasy provider "also will be Eisen’s 'On-the-Road' sponsor for 17 weeks during the NFL season." The sponsorship is "significant for Draft Ops, which is a new player in the daily fantasy space, having just launched late last year." It has "tried to establish market share in the fast-growing daily fantasy business" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 6/22 issue).
