FanDuel, the leading US online sports betting operator by market share, has signed a broadcasting arrangement with the EuroLeague, the pan-European basketball league.
The company will broadcast the 2024/25 EuroLeague season, with one game from each round aired exclusively via its FanDuel TV platform. The games will be shown on FanDuel TV Extra and FanDuel TV+ in the US, the latter its OTT platform.
FanDuel has cited the growing global popularity of basketball and a desire to distribute non-American competitions to US audiences. The US, as the home of the NBA, is undeniably the largest and most valuable basketball market in the world.
With the EuroLeague enjoying rising attendances and viewing figures lately, having broken its all-time attendance record and renewing its streaming partnership with IMG this year, it is no shock that the league is looking to capitalise on the popularity of basketball in the US.
“This agreement with FanDuel is a major step in expanding our footprint outside the pan-European ecosystem,” said Alex Ferrer Kristjansson, EuroLeague Basketball Marketing and Communication Chief Officer.
“By expanding the EuroLeague broadcasting offer to US audiences, we’re opening exciting opportunities to grow our fan base and connect with basketball enthusiasts on a global scale.”
So far, five fixtures have been confirmed as scheduled for broadcast on FanDuel TV.
These are As Monaco vs FC Barcelona on 16 October, Panathinaikos Aktor Athens vs Real Madrid on 17 October, Virtus Segafredo Bologna vs Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade on 23 October, Real Madrid vs Olympiacos Piraeus on 29 October and Real Madrid vs Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv on 31 October.
The arrangement is indicative of the growing convergence and strengthening of ties between betting and media. Companies like LiveScore Group have been emblematic of this, with the company combining a media and live odds service with its LiveScore Bet and Virgin Bet betting brands.
Another notable market for this convergence is Australia. Tabcorp, one of the country’s largest betting firms, is a prominent broadcaster of horse racing, whilst Entain Australia has also been eyeing up a position in sports broadcasting and streaming.
In the US, FanDuel, which is owned by the Ireland-based international betting group Flutter Entertainment, has been one of the forerunners in betting-media convergence.
FanDuel TV is a linear cable television network, whilst FanDuel TV Extra and FanDuel TV+, which will distribute the EuroLeague, are an OTT platform and a free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channel, respectively.
The channel has built up a large roster of sporting content including horse racing, association football/soccer, and has also worked with mixed martial arts (MMA) promotions like ONE Championship.
Mike Raffensperger, President of Sports at FanDuel, remarked: “We’re constantly looking to expand FanDuel TV’s robust offering of live sports and EuroLeague has proven to be a highly engaging market amongst FanDuel users.
“Our agreement will provide more visibility to Europe’s premier basketball league and bring even more captivating watch-and-wager programming to FanDuel TV.”
