With the National Football League in full motion, CNCB interviewed several notable figureheads on how sports gambling is going to change the NFL experience. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, DraftKings’ CEO Jason Robins, and NBC sportscaster Mike Trico shared their opinions.
The Relationship between Fan Engagement and Revenue
In an interview, NBC sportscaster Mike Trico was asked about the legalization of sports gambling and how having access to a reliable and legal betting outlet will change fan engagement. Trico revealed that the legality of gambling has never been a deterrent to passionate bettors who would always find a way to place a wager.
However, now people can wager through their phones without having to travel to Las Vegas or going through questionable operators; therefore, it will impact engagement. Trico mentioned that numerous people play fantasy football, gamble on sportsbooks, and share their experiences with friends, which is helping the league both in establishing a good income and maintaining fanbase growth.
In another interview, Roger Goodell opened the discussion with the news outlet by talking about the inherent relation between fan engagement and revenue. The commissioner pointed out that each fan has their own preferred sportsbook and that variety also adds up to the effect. Goodell, however, emphasized that not everything is about an optimal monetary gain and that NFL’s current goal is to engage more people.
“Our main focus here is to be able to create that engagement, build a broader fanbase and be able to reach those fans directly,” he stated.
The NFL – the Biggest Betting Event
The interviewer then turned to DraftKings’ CEO. He started by asking him whether the NFL is the key sporting event for the operator’s business, to which Robins replied that this is absolutely correct. Robins elaborated that the NFL is currently the biggest betting event. The CEO pointed out that despite being much shorter than other events like the baseball and basketball leagues, the NFL remains the biggest revenue generator.
When asked what the main engagement drive behind sports betting is, Robins replied that it’s a combination of more states having a legal betting ecosystem and more people being aware of the opportunities of sports wagering. Additionally, DraftKings’ regular promotions have also helped a lot of people chose the platform as their preferred one.
Another interviewer inquired about the relationship between the NFL and DraftKings. Robins confirmed that the two parties have great relationships and do a lot of collaborative activations. Robins shared that he likes how clear the NFL is in its intentions and loves the league’s determination to do everything with its fans in mind.
“And they understand that this really takes fans that maybe weren’t in all kinds of games and makes them interested in every game,” Robins explained and shared how before he started playing fantasy games, he only followed his town’s team but with time started following every game and learned the names of all the players and even backup players.
The interview concluded with a question about the sports betting industry as a whole and whether there will be consolidation among operators. Robins answered that with time “some operators will be winners and some won’t,” therefore it will be best for the ones who aren’t to realize it on an early stage and “consolidate with bigger players.” He ended by saying he hopes DraftKings hopes to be one of those who do well on the market.