This year, USA sportsbetting sites are expected to feature heavily in commercials during “The Big Game” on Sunday.
The 2021 Super Bowl was consumed by an audience of 91.6 million viewers. The advertising slate comprised of just two gambling-related commercials – two 15-second slots for DraftKings. This year it’s game-on for gambling companies hoping to attract new customers for their legal sportsbooks and DFS products.
Advertising during the Super Bowl isn’t cheap, with a 30-second commercial this year slated to cost $6.5 million to $7 million.
It’s no surprise that some sportsbetting companies are saving their ad-budget for the run up to the game. Fanduel is not embracing Super Bowl advertising – instead choosing to broadcast a series of promotions in the days preceding the game.
Speaking of ad partnerships, Mark Marshall, NBCUniversal’s president of advertising and partnerships said
We’ve witnessed an increasing desire for fans to watch the NFL across all of our platforms, from Sunday Night Football to Football Night in America, and through the nail-biting playoffs.” This multiplatform consumption has attracted even more advertisers who want to reach a large audience quickly
Legal U.S sports betting companies have spent billions on marketing in 2021, with that sum projected to rise significantly in 2022 as more and more states launch regulated gambling.
Many prominent players in the sportsbetting space who aren’t engaging in Super Bowl TV advertising are heavily marketing promos aimed at attracting new and existing customers during the fever of the year’s biggest football game.
A DraftKings commercial will air in the first quarter, explaining how five DraftKings customers will receive a $1 million free bet, and how a total of $5 million worth of free bets will be offered to other customers.
A Caesars commercial will air in the second quarter. Caesars Entertainment has recently announced that Peyton and Eli Manning will star in a responsible gaming commercial. In addition, during the Puppy Bowl, the sportsbook will air a commercial in support of Best Friends Animal Society, a non-profit committed to animal rescue and adoption, featuring actress Halle Berry (also Cleopatra in the Caesers commercial).
Fanduel – Will run commercials starring Jennifer Coolidge (as “Lady Luck” at an airport- with the line “new customers can bet $5 and win $280 cash”) in the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl LVI will be the last Super Bowl to take place in a state without legal sports betting until at least 2025 (when the game moves to Arizona, Louisiana & Nevada – which all and have retail sportsbooks books within walking distance of the respective host stadiums, and which permit online sports betting).
Gambling industry journalist with a background in online poker and trading. Covering the regulated U.S Sports industry and the exciting world of online poker.