US daily fantasy sports operator DraftKings has entered into partnerships with English Premier League football clubs Arsenal, Liverpool and Watford ahead of its impending launch in the UK.
Under the long-term deals, DraftKings-related offers and deals will be made available to fans of the three clubs. Neither the length nor financial terms of the agreement were disclosed.
DraftKings’ brand will also receive exposure at the home grounds of Arsenal, Watford and Liverpool on match days, with the latter set to promote the operator through pitch-side LED advertising. In addition, the three clubs will promote their partnerships through their official digital and social media channels.
“Our ambition is to bring players as close to the action as possible, with all the information they need to assemble the best teams,” DraftKings co-founder and chief executive Jason Robins said. “To do that, we are partnering with some of the biggest names in football here in the UK.”
Liverpool’s chief commercial officer, Billy Hogan, added: “DraftKings’ daily fantasy platform brings a whole new dynamic to the fantasy football we’re all familiar with. They have a partnership with the (Boston) Red Sox at Fenway Park so we’re excited to have them extend their relationship with FSG (Fenway Sports Group) to Liverpool FC as well.”
DraftKings in August secured a license to launch operations in the UK and had planned to go live by October. The company in November announced that it had been forced to delay its launch until early 2016 but did not disclose any reasons for the decision.
UK users will have access to the 11 sports currently available to DraftKings users in North America, which include football, golf, UFC mixed martial arts and eSports. The company is looking to add new local sports relevant to international markets over time.