In terms of golf, PrizePicks is now the only DFS or betting operator offering “longest drive” predictions for the PGA Masters in Augusta, alongside its other golf games like predicting how many birdies a golfer will have or in which place they will finish. 

“Our golf members have an insatiable appetite for every aspect of the game and want to spread their plays on PrizePicks as broadly as possible, especially heading into the first major of the year,” said PrizePicks CEO Adam Wexler. “Similarly, sports like Cricket and Disc Golf have passionate, educated fan bases, making them perfect additions to the PrizePicks portfolio.”

Turning to cricket, PrizePicks will be initially offering the Indian Premier League (IPL), with an eye to adding additional leagues in the near future. The operator says it has been considering adding cricket since 2020, and that it was further encouraged in early 2021 when the owners of the Caribbean Premier League’s Barbados Tridents participated in PrizePick’s strategic fundraise.

“We are excited to bring our expertise in cricket to life with PrizePicks. With over 30 million cricket fans in the USA for the second-most watched sport internationally, it was a natural fit,” said Tridents Co-Owner Arvind Gopwani. “My hope is that cricket will help further the record-breaking success PrizePicks has had over the past eight months, and we’re proud this will be the first DFS/Cricket partnership in the U.S.”

Finally, PrizePicks has added predictions (strokes, birdies, and finishing place) for disc golf – the rapidly growing sport led by players like Paul McBeth and Brodie Smith.

AYO.NEWS says:

While the golf expansion isn’t a surprise for a US-based DFS operator, the move into cricket is a bit more unusual, and it will be interesting to see how popular it proves with the predominantly American player base. 

In February, AYO.NEWS’ very own Simona Pinterova caught up with Adam Wexler, CEO of Performance Predictions, the operator of PrizePicks, to get the inside take on where the company is heading and how esports fits into the picture. 

DeChambeau, who is ranked No. 6 in the Official World Golf Ranking, will become the face of DraftKings’ golf offering, and “represent the digital sports entertainment and gaming company via an integrated brand, content, marketing, and VIP centric collaboration. Notably, fans will be offered the chance to win golf lessons from DeChambeau. 

Discussing the partnership CEO of DraftKings, Jason Robins, said:

“Professional golf has been a key growth sport in both daily fantasy and sports betting, and our collaboration with Bryson DeChambeau is a notable new layer of mainstream brand exposure and fan experience. DraftKings is strategically aligning with winning athletes like Bryson who embody and embolden the competitive fire of our customers.”

While DeChambeau himself added:

“DraftKings has been at the forefront of innovation for how people experience golf, and the company continues to modernize the game through technology built by and for sports fans.” 

DeChambeau also has commercial partnerships with Cobra/Puma, Rolex, FlightScope, Bridgestone, NetJets, Bentley Motors, and others. 

Staying with DraftKings, just last week the company extended its partnership with Gibraltar-based sportsbook MansionBet. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.

Operated by Roar Digital, a joint MGM Resorts-GVC Holdings venture, BetMGM will gain rights to use PGA Tour trademarks in the US and advertise within the professional golf tour’s media and partner platforms. 

The deal also covers content and video rights, enabling BetMGM to create pre and post game betting programming and highlights. 

BetMGM already has commercial agreements in place with a number of PGA Tour members, including Jimmy Walker, Boo Weekly, Keven Na, and Pat Perez.

Commenting on the partnership chief marketing officer at BetMGM, Matt Prevost, said:

“We look forward to working with the PGA Tour to integrate great experiences for BetMGM customers. BetMGM’s advanced betting technology, combined with the PGA Tour’s world-class competitions and iconic players, will not only advance the Tour’s position at the forefront of professional sports, but the entire betting industry as well.”

Roar Digital’s BetMGM is currently licensed for sports betting in seven US states, and plans to add a further five before the end of 2020. In July, MGM Resorts International and GVC Holdings announced a second round of investment in the BetMGM platform, bringing the total committed thus far to $450m USD. 

AYO.NEWS says:

With the recent merger of Eldorado and Caesars creating the US’s biggest gambling company, Roar Digital is now squaring up for a huge battle to take market share. Sponsoring something with the profile of the PGA Tour can only help – assuming the tour isn’t impacted too badly by the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, of course. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020

‘The e-Open’ launched on 13 July and is set to span three months, with qualifying events and knock-out rounds running through July and August, culminating in a Grand Final showdown in September. 

The virtual stroke play tournament is set at the iconic links of Royal St George’s, and uses Topgolf’s World Golf Tour free online gaming platform. 

According to organisers, 28 million users will get the opportunity to compete for the chance to win an exclusive trip to The 149th Open in 2021.

Though this is a first for The Open, Topgolf is no stranger to esports, having previously partnered with TCL to add esports lounges to six Topgolf venues, and teaming up with Super League Gaming to house amateur esports events in February 2019. 

Topgolf Media also worked with the European Tour and DreamHack Sports Games to launch the European eTour series – to run parallel with the scheduled European Tour events in 2020. 

The LPGA eTour Live, launched by The American Ladies Professional Gold Association (LPGA) also used Topgolf’s World Golf Tour platform. 

AYO.NEWS says:

While golf is a long way behind sports like football, basketball and motor sports when it comes to embracing esports, perhaps because of its older average fan base, the COVID-19 crisis (which is rapidly worsening globally, despite a reprieve in Europe) seems to have been the wake-up call it needed. 

The Open Championship organisers have also shown some more digital initiative, creating ‘The Open for the Ages’ – a virtual Championship created using film archive that spans a 50-year period to create something totally new. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020