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The race to become the first gambling operator to sponsor an American National Football league (NFL) team has been won by 888, who have announced they have agreed to a deal with the New York Jets.
About the deal
The agreement sees 888 given the right to use the Jets’ branding and logo in marketing materials, and have their own branding shown during games at MetLife Stadium, including in highlight packages.Yaniv Sherman, Head of Group Commercial Development at 888, said:“888 has a unique position across the three regulated states for full online gaming and we are confident that this deal will further strengthen the 888 brand in the US market.“This will support the successful delivery of our growth strategy to be a leading operator in the developing and potentially significant US online gaming market.”
Late to the party
NFL teams have been the slowest to partner with gambling, and specifically sports betting brands than other US sport teams.The National Hockey League (NHL) and National Basketball Association (NBA) have teams that have struck up deals earlier in the year, after sports betting laws changed in the US to allow access to the market, but NFL teams have, up until now, been hesitant to take the first step.With this deal between 888 and the New York Jets, we can safely assume that there will be more to come, with seven weeks left of the NFL season, eyes will already be looking towards sponsorship deals for the next season, and if other US sports are anything to go by, there are likely to be a plethora of deals between high-profile football teams, and some of the biggest sports betting brands in the world.