Shortly after the NFL forged authorized gaming partnerships with a host of leading sportsbooks in the 2021 offseason, operators began flooding the airwaves with a series of humorous spots that featured celebrities hawking their products.
Caesars Sportsbook spent lavishly on an ad package starring the Manning Brothers and actor J.B. Smoove as the eponymous emperor. During Super Bowl LVII last February, Kevin Hart expressed his displeasure for “taking the under” in a DraftKings spot while standing mere feet from WWE wrestler The Undertaker. Another commercial from FanDuel featured a live field goal attempt by former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, one that drifted wide left of the upright at the last second.
As the first month of the NFL season continues, top sports betting operators are embarking on a new strategy for advertising their products. Caesars, for instance, has mostly scrapped the comedic spots in favor of a more betting-centric approach. One commercial that has aired often in New York is focused on the operator's Same Game Parlay offering. Since SGPs have produced a hold of 20%+ in some states over a given month, it comes as little surprise that operators are touting them in their advertising.
There is another factor that explains the spike in targeted advertising this NFL season. For the first time in nearly three decades, the NFL added a new commercial partner for its Sunday Ticket package after signing a long-term deal with Google's YouTube. Besides YouTube TV, live NFL games can be viewed on streaming services such as Amazon Prime, Paramount+, Peacock, and NFL+.