The Philadelphia 76ers continue to blaze new ground, having become the first team in the NBA to officially partner with an online sports betting outlet.
The Sixers’ new venture partnering with FOX Bet, an online sports betting brand and NBA Authorized Gaming Operator, is the first such partnership in league history.
The collaboration, announced Monday, Nov. 25th, will allow, “near-live game replays on the 76ers Twitter, and will become the presenting partner of the 76ers radio game broadcast and for the teams ‘hype video’ played on the scoreboard leading into the fourth quarter of its home games,” according to a press release issued by FOX Bet (via Newsweek’s Matthew Impelli).
“To have the opportunity to tie the FOX Bet brand to one of the most iconic sports franchises in NBA history is absolutely thrilling,” FOX Bet CEO Robin Chhabra offered. “This agreement connects us with an extremely passionate local fanbase in a unique way.”
The NBA has been looking to sports betting as a novel source of revenue in recent years, first linking up with MGM Resorts in 2018 to secure the league’s first official ties to a sports bookmaking organization, making additional deals with DraftKings, Fanduel and the Stars Group (a co-creator of FOX Bet) since.
🤝
It's official! We are proud to announce that we are an official partner of the @Sixers, becoming the first online sports betting brand to strike a deal with an NBA franchise. pic.twitter.com/BoVTBXTVB7
— FOX Bet (@FOXBet) November 25, 2019
The new partnership is the first specifically associated with an individual franchise, though the Washington Wizards inked an agreement to provide a physical, brick-and-mortar sports betting operation to their arena in October, according to the Washington Post’s Rick Maese.
“For the leagues, this will be a really, really positive thing,” Wizards Governor Ted Leonsis said. “For the players, it will be a positive thing. We report the revenues for the rent. It grows the salary base; it grows the revenue base.”
Philadelphia, however, has no such plans for Wells Fargo Center and FOX Bet, instead content to keep their partnership internet-based, where 76ers fans can find preferential odds for certain bets placed on their favorite team.
SBC America’s Chris Murphy reports the alliance will also provide a number of home game promotions, LED signage, and courtside exposure in addition to cross-branded digital and traditional media exposure online and on the radio, so keep an eye out for the pairing making their home court debut soon.