Daily fantasy sports (DFS) giant PrizePicks has partnered with sports and entertainment talent agency KLUTCH Sports Group in a deal it says will help it more effectively straddle both sports and entertainment.
KLUTCH was founded in 2012 by CEO Rich Paul. Among its first clients were Paul’s close friend and the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, LeBron James. It reps stars of the NBA, the NFL, MLB, the WNBA and European soccer, including four-time NBA champion Draymond Green, three-time WNBA MVP A’Ja Wilson and Super Bowl champion quarterback Jalen Hurts.
The company has been partnered with United Talent Agency (UTA) since 2019 and also provides companies with strategic support in branding, communications and content.
It’s this expertise that PrizePicks hopes to benefit from. KLUTCH and its Brand Consulting and Sports and Brand Insights divisions will advise the operator on talent strategy, brand development and relationship building across the sports and entertainment landscape.
“The partnership is a great opportunity to build relationships with KLUTCH’s and UTA’s extensive client list, but it is also about leveraging their expertise in building broader brand strategies across sports, music and entertainment,” PrizePicks Chief Marketing Officer Mike Quigley told SBC Americas.
PrizePicks will work closely with KLUTCH SVP of Brand Consulting Maria DeRuccio and her brand consulting team for strategic guidance and lean on their insights group as it continues to look to reach wider audiences.
“PrizePicks is a brand that understands where sports fandom is headed – blending community, culture, and entertainment,” added DeRuccio. “We’re thrilled to support in their journey as they build deeper connections with fans and athletes alike.”
The power of data
In particular, PrizePicks and KLUTCH will work together on marketing campaigns that tap into the agency’s expertise across sports, music, entertainment and online influencers circles.
The press release announcing the news noted that KLUTCH can provide PrizePicks with data and valuation insights to help guide its strategy.
“We aim to bring on partners that both understand our brand and can speak the language of our players,” Quigley explained. “Each of our partners bring their own unique spin to their promotion, allowing for a real connection with the audience. KLUTCH’s data and insights team was a real differentiator. The leaders on that team have deep industry knowledge, use a deep and sophisticated set of insight tools, and also leverage proprietary information from their connection with UTA.
“Equally important is their understanding of how we are looking to use those insights to grow the PrizePicks brand in ways that are unique and authentic to who we are as a company.”
PrizePicks ramps up sports presence
PrizePicks added in a press release that the KLUTCH partnership marks another step in its mission “to grow beyond the traditional boundaries of fantasy sports and become a cultural force in sports and entertainment.”
The Atlanta-headquartered company counts among its ambassadors internet personalities such as Joe Budden and Druski, the Stephen A. Smith Show and UFC fighter Sean “Suga” O’Malley.
Quigley told SBC Americas that the partnership with KLUTCH is an important piece of PrizePicks’ larger strategy to expand its brand and audience to be both sports-focused and entertainment-focused.
Already the official DFS partner of its hometown Atlanta Braves since 2020, PrizePicks has notably targeted sports deals in California, signing with the San Francisco Giants, the San Diego Padres and the LA Dodgers in the last three months.
PrizePicks offers at least one of its DFS products in 45 U.S. states as well as Washington, D.C. In California, it recently switched its DFS offering from against-the-house to its Arena peer-to-peer product amid intense and renewed scrutiny on the fantasy vertical in that state. The day after the operator made that change, California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a sweepingly negative opinion on all paid daily fantasy contests in the state.
