Yahoo Sports enters into ‘historic partnership’ with MGM Resorts

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Seeking to replicate the success of FanDuel and DraftKings, a ‘historic partnership’ has been struck between industry giants, Yahoo Sports and MGM Resorts.

The deal is essentially a huge affiliate partnership which will initially see the Yahoo Sports app featuring embedded links and calls to action for BetMGM.com in states where sports betting is legal.

It will not only elevate engagement for Yahoo Sports, but the media and fantasy sports entity will benefit through the monetization of the traffic it sends to BetMGM.com.

Jim Murren, Chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International commented: “This partnership marks an important moment for BetMGM in the growing U.S. sports betting sector. Integrating Yahoo’s leading fantasy sports operations and content with BetMGM’s world-class sports betting and interactive platform uniquely positions us to drive market share and large-scale adoption among sports fans.”

As part of the joint venture between industry powerhouses MGM Resorts and GVC Holdings, fans will offered a host of unique sporting experiences, which will feature sports such as, the NBA, NHL, football, college sports, baseball, soccer, golf and tennis.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said: “As sports betting continues to transform the industry, this partnership brings together the power of two trusted partners of the NBA. By working together, MGM Resorts and Yahoo Sports will offer fans unprecedented ways to engage with our games.”

The announcement builds upon Verizon Media’s core strategy to connect content and discovery to transactions and is a natural extension of Yahoo Sports’ mission to reimagine sports for fans with unprecedented experiences.

As part of the multi-year partnership, the integration will launch on the Yahoo Sports app in November in the U.S., with transactions to take place on the BetMGM platform. Yahoo Sports will be an official Digital Media Sports Partner of MGM Resorts.

Guru Gowrappan, CEO of Verizon Media praised the collaboration, stating: “The historic partnership with Yahoo Sports and BetMGM will change the future of fandom, providing new ways for sports fans to go beyond engaging with content and interact through commerce. At Verizon Media we believe in building products that connect consumers to their passions and drive the deepest end-to-end value possible.”

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman added: “The expanding sports betting landscape presents exciting opportunities to increase fan engagement and leverage emerging technologies,” said”MGM Resorts, a valued partner of the NHL, along with Yahoo, a leading media brand, will connect fans to the action on the ice in new and innovative ways.”

As part of this partnership, MGM Resorts and Yahoo Sports will collaborate on an array of content experiences, exclusive live events, and more than 20 high profile major sporting and promotional marketing efforts. MGM Resorts will also distribute Yahoo Sports content across its properties and platforms. Yahoo Sports will also be hosting multiple player events at MGM Resorts properties.

Roar Digital CEO, Adam Greenblatt concluded: “This is an exciting partnership for the BetMGM brand and Roar Digital, helping us reach the widest possible audience of engaged sports fans in the U.S. The Yahoo Sports app and digital sports content is enjoyed by 60 million U.S. users every month, while Yahoo Fantasy Football clocks 9 billion minutes of user time every year. Together we offer fans a winning combination.”