Robins was pleased with how DraftKings had positioned itself ahead of the SCOTUS ruling getty images
DraftKings CEO Jason Robins said streaming NFL games one day is "actually what we want to do" and "hopefully where we'll get to," according to Daniel Roberts of YAHOO FINANCE. Robins: "That’s the goal. I think we have the customer, we have the wallet, we have a lot of the ingredients to make that a success." Robins noted media and betting "will converge" since there are "so many synergies." But he said there are "blocking factors that could get in the way." Roberts noted the "change in sports betting law had an instant, profound impact on DFS companies like DraftKings and FanDuel." Robins said of the Supreme Court striking down PASPA, "We totally prepared for it. I mean, it’s never exactly what you expect it will be, but this is pretty close to what we expected. We were out ahead of it. We had a very deliberate approach: We were very clearly mobile-focused, others were retail-first. I don’t know if that’s because that was easier, or more obvious, or what. But mobile is where I think almost everything, in the long run, will be." Robins added he always viewed DraftKings as a company that would "expand" into sports betting. Robins: "We were never pretending that we weren’t trying to go after that market." He noted DraftKings is now "back to growth mode." Robins: "It was a little bit of a rough go for a while. But now we are back on the rise." With Paddy Power Betfair buying FanDuel, Robins said it "means one less competitor," but on the "negative side, one big competitor that brings all that to the table." Robins: "I’m not going to sit here and pretend it doesn’t matter" (FINANCE.YAHOO.com, 10/17).
CHANGE IS COMING: Facebook Head of Global Sports Partnerships Dan Reed said at "some point, things are going to change" with respect to the pay TV bundle. Reed: "It's literally changing right now." He noted that Facebook is "testing testing many different programming options." In Tampa, Matt Baker noted Facebook has "some streaming rights for sports in Latin America" and is "working with some over-the-top companies to distribute games." It also has a "partnership with Stadium to show seven Mountain West Conference football games." For 10 Cubs games last season, Facebook "offered a simulcast." Reed said that TV ratings for those games "remained solid, despite the Facebook option, and the Cubs were able to get a sponsor for the Facebook audience and target those viewers for ticket sales" (TAMPABAY.com, 10/18).
