Dish Network said it reached a strategic agreement that will bring DraftKings sports book and fantasy sports to Dish customers.
The DraftKings app will be integrated into the Dish TV Hopper platform. Down the road, DraftKings will be added to Sling TV and Boost Mobile.
The move comes as more media companies form alliances with the growing legal betting industry. Sinclair Broadcast Group, for example, is rebranding its regional sports networks to reflect a deal with Bally’s.
Dish stopped carrying Sinclair's regional sports networks, citing their high costs.
Legal gambling is dumping lost of advertising dollars into media companies. It is believed that gambling will bring higher ratings and more fan engagement, particularly to live sports games.
"The integration with DraftKings is an exciting enhancement for our customers and a great addition to the growing Dish TV Hopper platform — a one-stop entertainment hub," said Brian Neylon, group president, Dish TV. "We're thrilled to work with DraftKings to amplify the sports-fan experience, and extend the DraftKings footprint across our unique suite of services, including SWling TV and Boost Mobile, with potential applications across our 5G wireless buildout in the future."
DishTV customers with an internet-connected Hopper family receiver will be able to access the DraftKings app to view betting odds and fantasy contests. They can initiate bets or contest entries with DraftKings directly from their TV, then set recordings and watch the live sports that correspond with those bets or fantasy teams, the company said.
When a bet or fantasy contest entry is initiated, customers will be prompted via text message through DraftKings-created technology to complete the transaction within the DraftKings app on their mobile device. Once launched, Dish TV customers can initiate bets for NCAA basketball, NBA, and NHL from the app via Hopper, with additional features to come.
"Our deal with Dish TV and the technology behind it immerses customers within a next-generation viewership experience and reaches these fanbases in a completely new way," said Paul Liberman, president of product and technology and co-founder at DraftKings. "This is a unique opportunity for fans to watch games and engage with our real-money products while the technology also allows for further innovation ahead."
