ESPN ends exclusive DraftKings ad deal
Sports media giant has opted out of an exclusive multi-million dollar agreement with the daily fantasy sports operatorÂ
Sports media giant ESPN has agreed to opt out of an exclusive multi-million dollar advertising agreement with daily fantasy sports (DFS) operator DraftKings. [private]
DraftKings and ESPN first announced the deal back in June last year, with the operator reported to have committed to spending around $200m per year on ad slots.
The exclusivity clause did not kick in until January, allowing ESPN to sell advertising space to other fantasy sports operators including DraftKingsâ fierce rival FanDuel.
But according to reports in Yahoo Finance, the exclusivity clause has been void at DraftKingsâ request as it continues to fight a number of expensive legal battles in states such as New York and Illinois.
A growing number of Attorney Generals across the US are taking a closer look at how DFS sits alongside existing state gambling law following the DraftKings data leak scandal back in October.
At the height of the scandal DraftKings suspended its advertising agreement with ESPN, but the partnership resumed three days later once the initial storm had blown over.
The news comes after DraftKings issued DFS analytics site SuperLobby with a cease and desist letter over claims it had used its trademark without permission and had violated its terms of use.