Anyone who loves NFL football and also owns a smart phone probably knows that Yahoo Sports is at the forefront of the digital media landscape.
They are the place to go to watch free games on their app including Thursday Night Football and a plethora of Sunday football as well.
And now they’ve signed a major deal with MGM Resorts International’s property BetMGM.
In making the joint announcement, MGM’s Chairman and CEO Jim Murren and Verizon Media’s CEO Guru Gowrappan called the partnership a way to, “power sports betting for Yahoo Sports and create collaborative content experiences and live events.”
The bottom line is that the new deal makes Yahoo Sports the official Digital Media Sports Partner of MGM Resorts. The deal takes effect immediately with changes in Yahoo’s sports app coming as soon as November in both iOS and Google Play formats.
“The historic partnership with Yahoo Sports and BetMGM will change the future of fandom, providing new ways for sports fans to go beyond engaging with content and interact through commerce. At Verizon Media we believe in building products that connect consumers to their passions and drive the deepest end-to-end value possible,” said Gowrappan.
What we know about the partnership thus far is that Yahoo Sports will be the host for various multiple player events that take place at MGM properties. MGM International will also be making Yahoo Sports content available at its properties across the country.
In making the announcement, Murren added, ““This partnership marks an important moment for BetMGM in the growing U.S. sports betting sector. Integrating Yahoo’s leading fantasy sports operations and content with BetMGM’s world-class sports betting and interactive platform uniquely positions us to drive market share and large-scale adoption among sports fans.”
MGM is also in partnerships with both the NHL and NBA and as a result the commissioners of both leagues took a moment to weigh in on this new development.
The NBA’s Adam Silver said, “As sports betting continues to transform the industry, this partnership brings together the power of two trusted partners of the NBA. By working together, MGM Resorts and Yahoo Sports will offer fans unprecedented ways to engage with our games.”
The NHL’s Gary Bettman added, “The expanding sports betting landscape presents exciting opportunities to increase fan engagement and leverage emerging technologies. MGM Resorts, a valued partner of the NHL, along with Yahoo, a leading media brand, will connect fans to the action on the ice in new and innovative ways.”
At this point everyone is speaking in platitudes, but it is clear that the new partnership aims to bring new betting experiences to gamblers across the United States and we will need to wait and see just how that evolves. But it seems like this is a great win for fans of sports betting.