NFL rises to third most-popular betting sport for Paddy Power customers
Data from parent company Flutter Entertainment shows better TV coverage, enhanced products and promotional crossover with football have sparked a 25% YoY increase in active NFL bettors
Paddy Power has revealed the NFL is now the third most-popular sport to bet on for its UK and Ireland customers, as American football continues to gain traction overseas.
The operator’s figures show the NFL has risen from being the 10th most-popular betting sport in 2019 to now being behind only football and horseracing.
Having sat as the eighth most-popular sport in 2020 and 2021, NFL’s climb kickstarted in 2022 when it rose to sixth, then fifth in 2023.
The sport now sits above boxing (fourth), darts (fifth) and golf (sixth) in the popularity rankings for Paddy Power customers.
The visibility of international NFL games has led to its increase in popularity, as well as product developments driven by the ‘Flutter Edge’, according to the operator.
The NFL international series has seen the league take regular season fixtures overseas, with games played in São Paulo, Munich and London already this season.
These games tend to have a much earlier start time in the UK on NFL Sundays (around 2:30pm GMT on average), with UK-based games taking place in London at either Wembley Stadium or Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The NFL London Games, which first started back in 2007, has seen increased interest, with sell-out capacity crowds now standard and a lucrative broadcasting deal is in place with Sky Sports to air the action.
Paddy Power noted a 25% increase in the number of active customers betting on London-based fixtures compared to last year, in addition to a 30% increase in the amount they staked.
The 2024 London Games started with the New York Jets versus the Minnesota Vikings in week five, with the Jacksonville Jaguars playing the Chicago Bears in week six.
The series concluded with the Jags facing the New England Patriots in week seven.
In terms of total NFL betting compared to 2023, the number of active customers went up 21%, with their stakes increasing by 25%.
David Curran, commercial manager for Paddy Power, said: “This stronger interest in the NFL UK games suggests customers are getting used to the early kick off times versus the usual ‘Redzone’ kick offs on Sunday evening.”
Investments made by Paddy Power parent company Flutter Entertainment have also factored into increased NFL betting.
Bet builders have continued to grow in popularity, with the product now accounting for 34% of all stakes in the opening weeks of the 2024 season, up from 29% in the 2023 season.
Flutter said gains had been driven by the Flutter Edge, whereby the operator taps into its global portfolio of brands and tech to cherry pick the best tools and practices to deploy in other markets.
Paddy Power’s NFL offering has been bolstered by knowledge and product development from FanDuel in the US.
Flutter explained: “Paddy Power’s customers are also benefiting from the sustained investment and innovation in FanDuel’s NFL product in the US, which has the best range of team and player markets.”
The New York-listed firm also noted pricing and trading capabilities of the group had allowed for a “consistent service” to NFL bettors on both sides of the Atlantic.
CEO Peter Jackson recently remarked on an analyst call that pricing was the “material differentiator” for FanDuel in the online sports betting battle in the US.
FanDuel’s head of trading, Paddy Aherne, remarked how the company’s trading team has stepped up its output to ensure high-quality NFL coverage.
He said: “From the outset, we wanted to ensure we were maintaining the same service that was being given to customers from a risk and trading perspective, 24 hours of the day.
“Even if it was early in the US, we wanted to be able to manage the full cycle of an NFL weekend schedule, allowing us to surface markets quicker and to leverage our pricing opinion more effectively.”
Paddy Power’s research also highlighted the crossover between football and American football on Sunday afternoons has led to football fans receiving more NFL promotions than they have been used to in the past, leading to more bets.
Research published by Entain in October supported the theory that British bettors are becoming more enamoured with NFL betting.
Entain’s figures showed a 65% year-on-year (YoY) increase in the number of British and Irish customers betting on the NFL.
The data also found a 60% YoY increase in the number of bets placed, as well as a 46% increase in total stakes YoY.