The Charlotte Hornets has chosen DraftKings as its official daily fantasy sports partner under the terms of a new multi-year collaboration.
The fantasy sports and betting operator’s branding will appear on courtside LED signage and on the basket stanchion at the Spectrum Center, home to the National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise. The Hornets and DraftKings will also work together on social promotions and other content activations.
Last year, DraftKings signed a ‘first-of-its-kind’ deal with Major League Baseball (MLB) side Chicago Cubs and the company already has deals in place with a handful of National Football League (NFL) franchises, along with the NFL Players Association.
Hornets Sports and Entertainment’s President and Vice Chairman, Fred Whitfield, commented: “We’re excited to enter this partnership with DraftKings and bring its daily fantasy sports products to our great Hornets fans. Collaborating with DraftKings will allow us to offer our fans engaging new experiences from the leader in this emerging area.”
The deal will include VIP experiential events at games, including press conference access, courtside shootouts, and coach and staff meet and greets.
Furthermore, it has been confirmed that the pair will develop a free-to-play, Hornets-themed predictive game to be integrated into the team’s mobile app.
Charlotte Hornets basketball games are must-watch TV for the NBA, and we look forward to providing Hornets fans with a best-in-class gaming experience,” added Ezra Kucharz, Chief Business Officer at DraftKings. “We look forward to deepening our business relationship with the Hornets organisation through this new agreement and showcasing DraftKings in North Carolina.”
Earlier this week, it was announced that Bally’s Corporation is set to acquire rival sports fantasy platform Monkey Knife Fight (MKF).
At present, DraftKings, MKF and FanDuel are the only operators to have their own sports segments.
