Content on this page may include affiliate links. If you click and sign up/place a wager, we may receive compensation at no cost to you.
WNBA, DraftKings announce betting partnership
Two of the hottest brands in sports are teaming up.
On Thursday, DraftKings and the WNBA announced an agreement that saw DraftKings become the Official Sports Betting and Daily Fantasy Partner of the WNBA.
The deal comes in the midst of a record-breaking season for the WNBA. Bolstered by a rookie class featuring Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, as well as a historic season from A’ja Wilson, the WNBA has become a hot-topic in the sports world. The league set an attendance record earlier this month, signed a new rights deal with ESPN and now has partnered with one of the top sportsbook operators in the industry.
Both sides will benefit
DraftKings continues to dominate in the sports betting market as its market-share continues to increase. The WNBA is skyrocketing in terms of popularity, viewership, discussion and betting. Both sides expect to benefit from the joint partnership.
DraftKings will receive rights to league and team intellectual property as well as access to marketing, activation and hospitality opportunities at tentpole events such as the WNBA all-star game. They will also receive access to the official WNBA data feeds, allowing the company to improve the gameplay experience for bettors.
DraftKings will also receive increased media exposure across the WNBA’s digital and linear media platforms. This includes being the presenting partner of the “WNBA Postseason Push,” a new content platform the league plans to release in September.
“The WNBA has seen tremendous growth, which continues to be a bright spot in the sports world. We are proud to support the league in its efforts to continue expanding the game,” said Matt Kalish, President, DraftKings North America in a press release. “It is a priority for us to deliver the most engaging WNBA content to DraftKings’ platforms and through our collaboration with the WNBA this season, we will be able to enhance the experience for millions of our customers and WNBA fans.”
WNBA continues to grow
Women’s sports have seen a steady improvement over the last decade in terms of viewership and being talked about in the same way as men’s sports are. This current WNBA season has been the league’s best showing.
The league finished the month of May with the highest-attended opening month in 26 years. The league has already had 15 games draw at least one million viewers this season, which matches the high mark of any previous season. More than 20,000 people were at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on July 2 to watch Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever take on A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces. This was the highest attended regular season game since 1999.
Former WNBA star and current DraftKings ambassador Lisa Leslie is optimistic about the league’s future and the partnership with DraftKings. “Having worked alongside both DraftKings and the WNBA, I am thrilled to see these innovative brands come together and further enhance excitement and visibility around women’s sports,” Leslie said. “The WNBA is rapidly expanding its reach and DraftKings has an unmatched ability to further generate additional fan engagement.”
The league had a previous partnership with FanDuel Sportsbook, so they’ve now secured the top two sportsbook operators as partners. DraftKings expands its basketball portfolio after previously entering an agreement with the NBA in 2021.