On the latest Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams discuss some of the biggest sports business stories of the week, including DraftKings’ $20 billion takeover proposal for European gambling operator Entain. The deal, should it happen, would instantly give DraftKings a huge overseas presence, and bolster its capabilities in iGaming, which is a bigger global opportunity than sports betting.
Entain, which owns Ladbrokes, Coral and Party Poker, rejected a roughly $11 billion takeover offer from MGM Resorts back in December. The company is also a 50-50 partner alongside MGM in BetMGM, a U.S.-specific sports betting and iGaming product. That will likely further complicate this deal, as MGM claims to have approval power over any major Entain transaction.
The hosts also discuss the latest corporate partnership for the Los Angeles Clippers, who announced a 23-year deal with Aspiration that’s worth nearly $400 million, according to sources. That comes on the heels of the team’s naming-rights deal with Intuit, meaning the team has closed nearly $1 billion in new sponsorships in the past 10 days.
The hosts also discuss a slew of new jersey patch deals in the NBA and NHL, and how a shift in the NFL Playoffs calendar might create a new coveted media slot for the league’s TV partners.
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