NFL promotes first sports betting-geared executive
Sports research and strategy veteran David Highhill appointed to new role with focus on integrity and global fan engagement
The NFL has confirmed the promotion of David Highhill as its new VP and general manager of sports betting, the league’s first role focused exclusively on the vertical.
A 10-year veteran of the NFL, Highhill has previously served in directorial and management-led roles in the league’s corporate strategy and product development groups.
In addition to his time at the NFL, Highhill also worked in C-level roles for sports-led talent recruitment agency Turnkey Sports & Entertainment over a four-year stint, which included 10 months as VP and talent prospector.
In his new role as VP and general manager of sports betting, Highhill will lead the NFL’s betting integrity efforts, while working to strengthen the league’s brand and reputation as well as increasing the value of NFL data, IP, and driving fan engagement at a global level.
Speaking about his new role, Highhill cited the explosion in sports betting since the repeal of PASPA in May 2018 as creating a swathe of new opportunities for the NFL.
“It’s a growing market, it’s grown a lot in the last three or four seasons. What’s ahead is the exciting part of the opportunity,” said Highhill.
Historically opposed to the legalization and expansion of sports betting on integrity grounds, the NFL began to reverse its stance in 2014, when NBA commissioner Adam Silver penned an opinion piece in the New York Times citing the impact legalizing might have on the illegal market and the leagues.
Over the next four years, the shift in opinions on sports betting moved to a more positive stance, culminating in the Supreme Court’s overturning of PASPA in May 2018.
In April 2021, the NFL finally ended its boycott of sports betting by signing a $1bn marketing deal with DraftKings, FanDuel, and Caesars, as well as signing a data-led deal with Genius Sports.
BetMGM, PointsBet, Fox Bet, and WynnBET have also become since commercial partners of the NFL. In October, the NFL kicked off a $6.2m nationwide responsible gambling campaign with the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG).
Sports betting has exploded in popularity in the US, with US bettors placing more than $7.61bn in bets on Super Bowl LVI in February.
NFL teams have largely restricted their activities to marketing deals with operators, and Highhill suggested that the league was not keen on teams operating their own sportsbooks.
“We’re going to focus on serving fans and the games rather than becoming a sportsbook,” he told ESPN.
“We know there is a profile of fans that are most interested and a profile of fans that are less interested.
“So serving fans where they are is very important, and that goes right alongside with supporting our relationship with the National Council on Problem Gambling and ensuring that we take a leadership position on problem gambling,” Highhill added.
Earlier this month, EGR delved into the league’s shift in favor of sports betting.