PointsBet CEO: We will look to do media deals beyond NBC Sports
Operator explores smart home and Internet of Things features as it considers technology synergies with NBC
PointsBet is eager to secure additional TV and digital media partnerships beyond its five-year deal with NBC Sports, EGR North America has learned.
PointsBet US CEO Johnny Aitken told EGR NA the firm had the capital and capabilities to “look at other material opportunities in the digital and TV space.”
“This isn’t all of our spend, this is planned money that was always allocated to be invested in TV and digital and it’s now being directly funded into NBC,” Aitken said.
The deal, announced last week, will see PointsBet’s odds and content integrated into NBC Sports national and regional TV networks.
It also grants to the operator access to the network’s popular golf app and fantasy platform, with NBC taking a 4.9% equity stake in the Australia-listed operator.
Elsewhere, Aitken said technology had been one of the main synergies between the two businesses, with both parties in talks to potentially implement some interesting smart home elements into the partnership.
One such feature would be using NBC parent company Comcast’s voice assistant TV remote Xfinity to bring up PointsBet odds and promotions on a user’s TV.
Another function being discussed is having a bettor’s upcoming bets and cash-out positions displayed during games on their Smart TVs.
“Part of the NBC decision to partner with PointsBet was not only the people that we have and the alignment of the management teams and how they see sports betting and sports media evolving, it was also technology,” Aitken said.
“The fact that we completely own our technology, in terms of integrations across a huge portfolio of assets, was of extreme appeal [for NBC, and] played a huge part in their decision and what that could mean over time,” he added.
The operator has signed a myriad of marketing and sponsorship deals in recent weeks, including a multi-year contract with Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) covering retail and online sports betting, daily fantasy, online casino and free-to-play games.
The operator is also seeking to raise an additional $219m (A$300m) by restructuring its shares.