Daily fantasy sports firm inks sponsorship deal with Canadian Football League

The Canadian Football League website at www.cfl.ca carried a notification Monday that the body has agreed an advertising and promotions partnership with daily fantasy sports operator DraftKings.

The deal will see the launch of new weekly fantasy contests specific to the CFL and its fifty-ninth season which kicks off this week with a match in Toronto.

Other elements in the agreement will see the League collaborating with DraftKings on the promotion of free-play competitions across online and mobile channels and the CFL media and digital assets.

The partnership marks a large expansion into the Canadian sports market for DraftKings, as well as the first time the CFL has been a featured sport on a major DFS site, the CFL notice informs.

Jeffrey Haas, DraftKings chief international officer, said: .“Canada continues to be a key and growing market for DraftKings, and our partnership with the CFL is another way for us to attract passionate Canadian sports fans. The CFL is a dynamic league that works perfectly for DFS players of all skill levels. Sports fans are going to love the challenge of setting their weekly CFL roster and taking a shot at winning some incredible prizes.”

In addition to engaging existing fans, the weekly CFL fantasy games will expose the CFL to millions of DFS users across North America – televised on ESPN – and the UK – televised on BT Sport. The CFL will be fully integrated across DraftKings digital properties, including online and mobile. DraftKings’ CFL fantasy contests will also be featured across the league’s media and promotional platforms.

“We’re pleased to form an advertising and promotional partnership with DraftKings that will elevate both of our brands,” said Christina Litz, the CFL’s SVP of marketing and content. “This new fantasy offering will give avid CFL fans and sports fans new to our league an opportunity to deepen their engagement with our game. It’s an important part of our strategy to serve our existing fan base better than ever before at the same time we attract new fans, including the next generation of fans.”

This is DraftKings’ second major Canadian partnership. Last year the company announced a landmark advertising and promotional partnership with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.