Rob Gronkowski’s deal with Flutter is expanding into a new U.S. brand. The former New England Patriot is set to appear on the second season of the PokerStars branded poker show The Big Game.
PokerStars announced the participation of Gronkowski as well as broadcaster Nick Wright on the upcoming season, which will be filmed in Las Vegas this November during the North American Poker Tour (NAPT) event at Resorts World Las Vegas.
“I’m always up for a challenge, and diving into the world of poker is going to be an amazing new adventure for me,” Gronkowski said in a release. “I’m beyond excited to play alongside some of the best in the game and tackle the high-stakes action. Just like on the football field, I’ll be bringing my competitive edge and giving it everything I’ve got at the tables.”
The Big Game is a televised cash poker game with a lineup of pro players and celebrities as well as a “Loose Cannon”, which is an amateur player staked by the show to compete against the big names.
To date, Gronkowski has only worked as an ambassador for FanDuel and this will be his first foray with a different brand under the Flutter umbrella.
His highest profile partnership with the brand was Kick of Destiny, a two-year Super Bowl advertising stunt where Gronkowski aimed to kick a field goal and win FanDuel patrons money.
Given the nature of his deal with FanDuel, the veer into poker is not surprising. Rather than focus on FanDuel Sportsbook, Gronkowski has instead promoted other aspects of the FanDuel brand.
He has a branded cornhole game on the skill game site FanDuel Faceoff and has promoted FanDuel Casino as well. In May, Gronkowski sat with the dealers in the site’s New Jersey live dealer studio and answered questions and chatted with fans.
