American daily fantasy sports heavyweight DraftKings has announced the agreement of a partnership deal that will see the company live-stream Euroleague Basketball events to players in the US.
The streaming service will be rolled out to players in North America during the first quarter of 2018 and will be available on the DraftKings mobile app. Players will be able to watch one free game per week or pay a $3 fee to stream multiple games. DraftKings have also confirmed that they plan to unveil a EuroLeague daily fantasy sports contest later this month.
EuroLeague Basketball is one of the most popular professional indoor sports leagues in the world, with an average attendance of 8,472, during the 2016–17 season, making it the fifth-highest of any professional indoor sports league in the world (the highest outside the United States).
It is the second-highest of any professional basketball league in the world, only behind the National Basketball Association (NBA). Its showpiece Euroleague FinalFour tournament showcases the top four teams in Europe, with Real Madrid winning the tournament a record nine times.
In a statement announcing the tie-up, Jason Robins, co-founder and CEO of DraftKings said: “Our goal is to become the one-stop destination and mobile companion for sports fans globally. Adding a live streaming component allows us to provide the best and most seamless product for our customers. This is what the future of sports looks like.”
Jordi Bertomeu, EuroLeague Basketball President and CEO added: “We are proud to be breaking new ground with such a forward-thinking partner as DraftKings.”
“Combining fantasy with live-streamed games is a perfect match, not only for the countless passionate EuroLeague fans we have already, but for the many new ones who will now discover our unique brand of basketball through DraftKings.”
