The Baltimore Ravens and DraftKings Inc. announced a deal earlier this week that should have massive benefits to both of the partners. DraftKings is now the official sports betting, Daily Fantasy Sports, and Free-to-Play Partner of the Baltimore Ravens.
The National Football League season is set to begin on September 9, and teams are continuing to look for new ways to get involved in the sports betting industry. DraftKings is a major sports betting operator in the Eastern portion of the United States, and partnering with the Ravens should provide a big boost to the company.
This is the fifth different partnership with an NFL team for DraftKings, and more could be on the way in other states. The NFL has allowed its teams to seek out these partnerships, and it should lead to legal sports betting being offered inside of an NFL stadium at some point.
Ezra Kucharz, Chief Business Officer of DraftKings, said:
“The newly penned relationship offers something for every kind of sports fan and will allow them to engage with DraftKings’ digital content, free-to-play product, daily fantasy sports and, perhaps soon, sports betting, to ultimately bring them closer to the action alongside one of the top teams from the AFC North.”
The Baltimore Ravens play their home games at M&T Bank Stadium, and DraftKings signage will now be visible in and around that field. There will also be a DraftKings suite for each home game this year.
The free-to-play portion of this deal is set to go into effect immediately, and fans of the Baltimore Ravens can find those games on the team app. DraftKings will be working with the Ravens to provide unique gameday experiences for the most loyal fans.
The Baltimore Ravens currently host a weekly podcast called, “The Lounge,” and DraftKings will have a huge presence on those airwaves. DraftKings will be in charge of creating unique content, and the company will also be given the naming rights to the Baltimore Ravens pregame show.
This partnership will continue to grow in the coming years, especially when sports betting is launched in the state.
Maryland Sports Betting Coming Soon
Sports betting is legal in the state of Maryland, but DraftKings won’t be able to take any bets when the 2021 NFL season starts. The state of Maryland does remain on track to launch sports betting at some point this season.
DraftKings has confirmed that it has applied for a sports betting license in Maryland, and that will be the 15th state in which it operates. The Maryland Lottery is one of the agencies that are in charge of reviewing applications, and that process is currently underway.
M&T Bank Stadium is expected to be authorized for a sports betting license as well, and that should then be transferred to DraftKings. There could be up to 60 different online sports betting licenses available in Maryland, but it’s unclear how many companies will apply for one.
Maryland is expected to become a large sports betting market, especially in that part of the country.