NHL gets a piece of PointsBet

PointsBet and the National Hockey League (NHL) have announce a multi-year strategic partnership in which the global sportsbook operator will be an official sports betting partner of the NHL.

market value of about AU$719,870 (US$556,363) on the Australian Stock Exchange

In return, the NHL will get a slice of equity in PointsBet, as well as an undisclosed sum of cash. The league will receive 43,106 PointsBet Holdings Limited shares over the course of three years, which have a current market value of about AU$719,870 (US$556,363) on the Australian Stock Exchange.

This betting partnership will cover the United States and Australian markets. PointsBet will be able to use NHL logos and marks. It will also work with the NHL on different promotional and sponsorship opportunities over various marketing channels.

One of the more notable aspects of the agreement will see PointsBet integrate some of its content directly into live NHL broadcasts, which has already started between the NHL, NBC Sports, and PointsBet for the 2020-2021 season. This includes the sportsbook’s odds, insights, and data becoming part of the pre-game, in-game, and post-game telecasts.

Welcoming the partnership

The NHL already has a number of sports betting partners on board, such as MGM Resorts International, FanDuel, and William Hill. Speaking about the deal with PointsBet, NHL chief business officer and senior executive vice president Keith Wachtel said: “Our partnership with PointsBet brings to life our collaboration with our valued media partners.”

He also spoke about increasing fan engagement through NBC and PointsBet.

PointsBet USA CEO Johnny Aitken also welcomed the announcement of the deal. He referred to the exciting on-ice action during games, as well as the chance to work with the “forward-thinking” team at the NHL. Aitken said: “We are excited to further elevate fan engagement via offering the most markets in the world for each NHL game.”

Both parties making moves

PointsBet has been busy expanding across the US market during the past year. It signed a five-year deal in August 2020 with NBCUniversal; NBC Sports is the main broadcaster of NHL games. NBCUniversal got a 4.9% equity stake in PointsBet as a result of this deal.

The betting operator has also partnered with numerous other sports organizations and teams in the US, such as the Detroit Pistons, Detroit Tigers, Indiana Pacers, Indianapolis Colts, Denver Nuggets, Chicago Bears, and the PGA Tour.

It also announced last month that NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal is now a PointsBet brand ambassador in Australia. To date, PointsBet has online sportsbooks up and running in Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and New Jersey.