Hot on the heels of deals with two other major sports media brands, Sling TV and Vegas Sports Information Network (VSiN), DraftKings continues to strengthen its presence in the sports media world. The group recently announced a partnership with the Dan Le Batard brand, ensuring rights to distribute the sports journalist’s podcast and radio show.

With the deal, DraftKings continues to push into the media business, hopeful that radio shows and sports recaps will drive customers to its range of legal US sports betting products.

DraftKings and the Dan Le Batard Brand

According to a , DraftKings agreed to pay at least $50 million over three years for the rights to distribute podcasts by the popular former ESPN host.

The rights cover TV, radio, and internet distribution for the Dan Le Batard Show with Stutgotz and the network of podcasts built by Le Batard and his business partner, the former President of ESPN John Skipper.

DraftKings will cash in on the deal by selling ads and sub-licensing the podcast to radio stations and other providers.

The betting giant also plans to include sports data on Le Batard’s various shows.  For this to happen, Le Batard’s company, Meadowlark, plans to develop programming that centers on sports betting and DraftKings.

The deal also gives DraftKings the right to air the show on its new betting-oriented channel, launched on Sling TV.

Le Batard’s Message to Followers

The Miami-based Le Batard has a sizeable and loyal following in Florida. He is a former columnist at the Miami Herald, who left ESPN earlier this year after hosting a radio and TV show for the network for more than 20 years.

Le Batard reportedly butted heads with ESPN executives, which eventually led to an announcement that the two parties would be parting ways in 2021.

Following the split, Le Batard and Skipper founded Meadowlark, a content company that sells podcasts and other shows to streaming platforms.

As part of and because of the deal, Le Batard can keep his podcast outside a paywall, fund the project, and continue to hire employees.

In a message to his followers, , Le Batard said:

“DraftKings believed in us, our principles and our mission enough to give us a freedom no scared corporation or traditional media partner ever could or ever would.

“To our fans, know that DraftKings is the reason you aren’t behind a paywall, and I’m promising you the money won’t change the show or corrupt us in any way.”

DraftKings Continues Expansion Plans

Last year, DraftKings .

The group recently hired Brian Angiolet to oversee its expansion plans as it continues to make footprints in the sports media industry.  He will lead a team responsible for evaluating potential media acquisitions and content efforts. The team will help vet future deals and content partnerships. DraftKings will use these deals and partnerships to drive customer referrals to its sportsbook.

Deals signed this year include:

• Acquisition of VSiN: On April 1^st, 2021, BettingUSA reported that DraftKings had acquired Vegas Sports Information Network (VSiN) in a deal said to be worth $100 million.  The partnership enables DraftKings to build out its content capabilities and augment VSiN’s ability to broaden its audience alongside the expansion of legal sports betting in the US.

• Launch of DraftKings channels on Sling TV – More recently, an exclusive deal signed between DraftKings and DISH Network resulted in Sling TV becoming the first live TV streaming service to integrate DraftKings’ sports betting information channel DraftKings Basketball. In the coming weeks, DraftKings Baseball and DraftKings Hockey will also launch.

All of the above deals continue the mashup of sports betting operators and media, which has become a trend in the US market. For operators such as DraftKings, FanDuel, and casino operators such as MGM and Caesars, owning content could be a cheaper vehicle for attracting customers than paid marketing.

DraftKings tested the water around content by striking deals with big names in the media industry over the years. Its biggest rival, FanDuel, has also inked partnerships with content providers and is said to be on the hunt for other deals.