William Hill today will add its first league deal and take on the designation of “official sports betting partner” of the NHL. This is a significant step for the sportsbook, which had eschewed league sponsor deals even as competitor MGM Resorts Int'l locked down four of them (NBA, NHL, MLB and MLS). William Hill, which was the first sportsbook to sign team sponsorship deals when it partnered with the Golden Knights and the Devils, becomes the NHL’s third sponsor in the category, joining MGM and FanDuel. The deal, which a source said is for two years, is valued in the low seven figures annually.
The pact does not include the purchase of official league data, a requirement that the NBA and MLB have demanded from potential league and team sponsors in the category. Key assets for William Hill include exposure on NHL.com in states where sports betting is legal, as well as the ability to market to the NHL’s fan database. The deal also includes escalators on that media spend that could make it worth more to the NHL as sports betting becomes legal in more NHL markets.
William Hill CEO Joe Asher said of the NHL, “They’ve taken a very progressive approach to sports betting and how to work with operators. Through them understanding how we were viewing it, we got there. For us, it’s all about what value we can get out of the opportunity vs. the money we’re spending."
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