For those with a love of golf and sports betting you’ll soon be able to combine your two passions thanks to the newly penned deal between the PGA Tour and DraftKings.
This brand new deal will see DraftKings named as the “official betting operator” of the PGA Tour, which is an expansion of a previous agreement between the two. Being described as “the next evolution of a deal” this just solidifies DraftKings very strong position in sports betting among many professional leagues.
DraftKings Follows in the Footsteps of Other Sportsbooks
While the deal between the PGA and DraftKings is certainly exciting, it’s not exactly unique. Other professional sports leagues also have their own partnerships with top sportsbooks to ensure that they are getting ample exposure.
But, don’t take the fact that golf may seem a little slow to jump in the game as a bad sign. Instead, the PGA Tour is adamant about how fully they are embracing betting on golf.
Norb Gambuzza, PGA Tour’s senior vice president of media and gaming, stated that this new partnership with DraftKings is a big deal for the tour, the sport and how they can grow with sports betting. He would go on to explain the importance of sports betting on fan engagement:
“We have a mind-set that starts at the top and works its way through our organization that fan-first engagement is our mantra. And sports betting, when done appropriately, represents a really strong opportunity to move the needle.”
How Does This Deal Impact Golf on TV?
As the dust settles and the excitement starts to truly sink in, it seems there are tons of questions surrounding not only the deal but how the future of sports betting and the PGA Tour will look.
For now, details are scarce but Gambuzza stresses that everything is in the process of being worked out. He has also gone on to state that viewers can expect to see some movement where digital content and odds will combine.
It’s believed that various golfing digital platforms will first venture out into the sports betting waters with betting odds and content. In time, those strategies will spread to TV broadcasts.
As excited as Gambuzza is to really get the information out there to fans who are looking for the stats and odds, he stresses that they don’t want to “push content” that some may not be interested in seeing.
The last thing he, or the PGA wants is for fans to lose interest and stop watching televised games. It’s about hitting that happy medium of providing enough sports betting odds content, while not going overboard and potentially alienating fans.
Rick Rockwell
As a longtime freelance writer, avid sports fan, former athlete, and experienced sports bettor, Rick Rockwell has risen up the ranks at GamblingSites.org to become the self-professed “King of the Blog” in his first year with the site. …
