William Hill U.S. announced a partnership deal Monday with CBS Sports that makes the Las Vegas-based sportsbook operator the official sports betting partner and wagering data provider all of the network’s online platforms.
Under the deal, CBS will utilize William Hill’s data and odds, and the sportsbook operator will have the exclusive rights to promote its brand across CBS Sports’ range of digital properties, including CBS Sports Fantasy.
CBS Sports Digital is considered the second-largest sports property in the U.S., with more than 80 million monthly users across its sites and mobile apps. Las Vegas-based William Hill has legal sportsbook operations in 10 of the 14 states that currently offer legal sports betting, and the company said it currently accepts one out of every four sports bets placed in the U.S.
William Hill CEO Joe Asher said the deal “will allow us to expand the William Hill brand across America quickly and efficiently.”
The announcement is the latest agreement pairing sports betting or casino operators with traditional media outlets in order to find another vehicle to grow audience engagement from both sports bettors and sports fans.
In October, Yahoo Sports became an official digital media sports partner of MGM Resorts International. Roar Digital, a joint venture between MGM Resorts and UK betting giant GVC Holding, is powering sports betting operations for Yahoo Sports.
Joe Asher (l) and former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman at the opening of William Hill’s remodeled sportsbook at the Plaza Las Vegas in November 2019
ESPN has a partnership with Caesars Entertainment to serve as the network’s official odds supplier, Fox Sports has a deal with the Stars Group, and last month, Penn National Gaming and Barstool Sports announced a $163 million deal centering on rebranding the casino company’s retail and online sports betting presence with the Barstool media platform.
Financial terms of the agreement between William Hill and CBS were not disclosed.
“We really felt this was the right deal for us,” Asher said in an interview. “The deal gives us the ability to tap into an 80-million-user database. CBS also has tens of millions of social followers. They have the eyeballs, and they have customers we want to reach.”
The partnership also includes opportunities to feature William Hill’s data, odds and markets across CBS television programming.
Asher said CBS will work out the specific events that could include William Hill in coordination with the various leagues.
“The power of our distribution, combined with the strength of our brands and the expertise of William Hill, has us well positioned to tap into the explosive growth of the legal sports betting industry in the U.S.,” said Jeffrey Gerttula, general manager of CBS Sports Digital. “Together, we will deliver even more value to this rapidly growing segment of sports fans.”
William Hill US will have the opportunity to advertise its brand on the CBS Sports website, which sees some 42 million visitors a month.
Owned by ViacomCBS, the network is home to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, NFL football, college football and several other professional leagues.
“CBS Sports, similar to William Hill, has a longstanding history of connecting fans directly to the biggest events and most iconic moments in sports,” Asher said. “We are excited about this partnership, with assets including mass-reach digital content products, one of the largest fantasy sports databases and platforms in the world, and leading sports television programming.”
#exclusive – William Hill to be CBS Sports Digital’s exclusive sports betting data provider under new partnership. –@howardstutz, CDC Gaming Reports. https://t.co/bhcfRzZgmK @WilliamHillUS @CBSSports #CDCgaming
— CDC Gaming Reports (@CDCNewswire) February 11, 2020
The partnership will begin in March on CBS Sports digital platforms, with a full rollout planned for the fantasy football season.
CBS Sports Digital offerings include SportsLine, a subscription platform for game picks and predictions; CBSSports.com; 24/7 streaming network CBS Sports HQ, which features the nightly SportsLine show focused on sports betting; CBS Sports Fantasy; CBS Sports apps; and 247Sports.
Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming Reports. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgaming.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
