888 becomes first NFL team partner
888 has become the first major operator to forge a deal with an NFL team after confirming it has partnered with the New York Jets.
888 signage has been visible at the Jets’ MetLife Stadium for some weeks, but the deal was only confirmed by the betting company today (Tuesday). 888 is already licensed and operational in New Jersey, where the Jets’ stadium is located.
888 said its branding will be seen during the Jets games, including within ‘red-zone’ highlights shown on the stadium’s videoboards. 888.com’s sponsorship includes the use of Jets branding and logos in marketing materials as well as adverts distributed during New York Jets game day radio coverage and across the New York Jets digital platforms.
Yaniv Sherman, 888’s head of group commercial development at 888, said the deal will “further strengthen the 888 brand in the US market”.
He added: “This exciting deal between the New York Jets and 888.com is a significant moment for both 888 and our industry as it marks the first ever sponsorship agreement between an NFL team and a global online operator.
“888 has a unique position across the three regulated states for full online gaming… This will support the successful delivery of our growth strategy to be a leading operator in the developing and potentially significant US online gaming market.”
888 began offering sports betting in New Jersey in September, some five years after it launched its online gaming platform in the state. Its long-standing land-based partner is Caesars.
The deal comes after the NBA and NHL signed league-wide partnerships with MGM. FanDuel was this week also announced as a partner of the NHL, while several teams in both sports have agreed their own deals. In September the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys signed a sponsorship deal with a casino, WinStar World Casino and Resort, just days after the American football league relaxed its rules on such commercial partnerships.
Research published by the American Gaming Association (AGA) recently suggests the NFL could boost its annual revenue by $2.3bn (£1.78bn/€1.98bn) per year through widely available, legal, regulated US sports betting.