Dan Le Batard announced on his podcast on Wednesday that he has won “the prize everyone in podcasting wants”, a new sponsorship deal with DraftKings.
Sports betting operator DraftKings and Meadowlark teamed up in 2021 to distribute The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz and other programs across audio, TV, and social channels. The initial deal was reportedly worth $50 million over 3 years, but Le Batard did not reveal any figures about the new deal.
He was, however, excited about continuing to work with the gambling company. Speaking on his show, Le Batard enthused, “It’s the prize everyone in podcasting wants. And we, our show, this one, has won it. Congratulations, guys. We have signed a new deal with DraftKings that is one of the best deals that you will find anywhere in the industry to continue our partnership with DraftKings,”
“They have been the best partner that we have ever had and now are long-term working for each other. DraftKings will support all of the things that we do around here.”
Time of change for Meadowlark
The deal was signed at a time of change for the show wth Jon “Stugotz” Weiner announcing he will take a step back from hosting. Stugotz will make a reduce number of appearances on the show as he launches his own projects outside Meadowlark. He recently launched his own YouTube channel and posts his NFL podcast, God Bless Football, on there.
Co-founder and CEO John Skipper also departed Meadowlark earlier this month. The former ESPN host teamed up again with Le Batard in 2021 with funding from DraftKings.
Le Batard remained optimistic about the future of the company with the continued backing of the Boston-based gambling giant. He commented, “They have supported us as the best partner we’ve ever had and it’s not just because of the money,”
“It’s because they let us, in a really fractured media time, have real freedom and independence the way nobody in this business has. They let us do what we want. They’ve funded, they’ve supported and we’ve learned so much together over the last few years. And this rocket ship is about to take off and grab all the things there are to be grabbed.”
DraftKings sponsorship deals
Le Batard is not the only podcast to receive backing from DraftKings, the company also sponsors The Volume, Props & Drops, New Heights, and The Pivot. In addition, it is the sponsor of NFL Red Zone and Amazon Prime’s Thursday Night Football.
The company spends $500 – $600 million a year on marketing, with 15% of this on sponsorship deals. The company has also been expanding into new markets and recently merged Jackpocket user accounts to offer players the chance to buy lottery tickets.
Increased advertising and expansion into new markets saw the company report $1.409 billion in revenue for Q1 2025, a 20% increase from $1.175 billion in Q1 2024. Despite this, they still posted losses of $33.8 million, but this was way down on the $142.5 million lost in the first quarter of last year.
It suggests the company may be heading towards profit, and the spread of their brand through Le Batard’s podcast, as well as other sponsorship deals, has made the company synonymous with sports betting in the country.
Adam is an experienced writer with years of experience in the gambling industry. He has worked as a content writer and editor for five years on sites such as Oddschecker, CoinTelegraph and Gambling Industry News, bringing excellent knowledge of the world of sports betting and online gambling. Adam focuses on emerging stories in the ever changing landscape of betting in the US. Read the latest on prediction markets, changing legislation, and sweepstakes.
