America’s top sports betting provider, William Hill, announced a strategic partnership deal with CBS Sports that would make the UK-based company the Official Sports Book and Wagering Data Provider across all CBS Sports platforms, with initial integration of sports betting, media, product and technology starting in March on CBS Sports digital platforms and a full rollout scheduled for the beginning of the fantasy football season.
Media Promoting Gaming
This deal is the latest in a series of partnership deals between traditional media outlets and sports books or casino operators, with both sides searching for a new vehicle to mutually grow audience engagement from their partner’s.
Last year Roar Digital, a joint venture company between MGM Resorts and GVC Holding, entered into a partnership deal with Yahoo Sports where the joint company would be tasked with sports betting operations for Yahoo.
Caesars Entertainment has a deal with ESPN that makes the casino operator the official odds supplier of the network, the Penn National Gaming is in partnership with Barstool Sports to rebrand the gaming company’s retail and online sports betting presence through the platform of the media company, while poker company the Stars Group has an agreement with Fox Sports.
William Hill Reaches Millions of CBS Sports Audience
The partnership deal announced gives William Hill the exclusive rights to promote its brand across CBS Sports‘ broad range of digital platforms, including one of the largest fantasy sports platforms, the CBS Sports Fantasy, and promises future acquisition of new customers for the sports betting operator.
“We are excited about this partnership, with assets including mass-reach digital content products, one of the largest fantasy sports databases and platforms in the world, and leading sports television programming, which will allow us to expand the William Hill brand across America quickly and efficiently”, Joe Asher, CEO, William Hill US.
CBS Sports Implements William Hill Data and Odds
CBS Sports will bolster its current digital offerings by utilizing odds, experts and sports books from William Hill to deliver deeper information and programming across the country, maintain its leadership role in the sports betting digital space by creating more relevant content across its platforms and further engage sports fans, with the partnership deal including opportunities to feature William Hill data, odds and markets across CBS television programming.
“The power of our distribution, combined with the strength of our brands and the expertise of William Hill, has us well positioned to tap into the explosive growth of the legal sports betting industry in the U.S”, Jeffrey Gerttula, Executive Vice President and General Manager, CBS Sports Digital.
CBS Sports Digital has more than 80 million users per month across its sites and apps, with tens of millions of social platforms’ followers and is the second-largest sports property in the U.S., while William Hill has grown to become America’s leading sports book operator since its initial appearance in 2012, and the strategic partnership deal between these two companies brings potential for expansion for both.