Cubs execs see the DraftKings sportsbook to be developed near Wrigley Field as a logical addition to the ballpark’s Gallagher Way development, which includes a well-received boutique hotel and several restaurants. That real estate project has driven increased activity when the Cubs are on the road and in the offseason, especially through December, when the weather is mild enough for outdoor activity. The execs see a sportsbook as a way to bridge the gap between the winter holidays and the start of baseball season.
Cubs President Crane Kenney: “We have a slackened market from January to the beginning of baseball. What really helps us there is that the Super Bowl and March Madness are in that three months of the year (with) a very active indoor environment, where folks are staying in and watching their teams and now betting on their teams.”
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Meanwhile, the Cubs bucked a trend when they opted to grant DraftKings exclusivity in the sportsbook category. Teams across sports typically have divided the category into at least three, often signing a land-based casino brand and two online operators, parceling out assets in ways that fit their often differing strategies. The Cubs chose to treat the category as they do other large ones, such as beer and airline, where Anheuser-Busch and American Airlines have marketing exclusivity. “We really don’t want to see Wrigley turn into some kind of a NASCAR -- 150 different partners in the ballpark,” Kenney said. “We like bigger, deeper, more exclusive relationships. That’s what has worked for us.”
