TLDR
- The NFL requires sportsbook partners to advertise only an “approved product” during games and bans prediction market ads entirely.
- The league has not published its list of approved products or explained who decides what goes on it.
- DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics all signed data and advertising deals with the NFL, but the deals exclude their prediction market platforms.
- Each company separates its prediction market business from NFL advertising differently: DraftKings by timing, FanDuel by state, and Fanatics by brand.
- The American Gaming Association says prediction market ads made up 57% of digital sports betting ad impressions through July, without naming which companies count toward that figure.
The NFL has confirmed a rule limiting what its sportsbook partners can advertise during games. League spokesperson Tim Schlittner said sportsbook partners must promote only an approved product. He said prediction market ads are banned entirely.
The ban covers more than commercials. Schlittner said it also applies to in-stadium signage, club sponsorships, and player endorsements.
The rule goes further than blocking prediction markets. A licensed sportsbook cannot advertise itself as a company either. It can only advertise a specific product the league has approved.
The league enforces this through contracts rather than a public rulebook. Advertising in NFL games requires official league data, which only Genius Sports distributes. Companies must also agree to the league’s integrity terms.
There is no public list showing which products are approved. The league has not said how a product gets approved or who makes that decision.
What the NFL Deals Do Not Cover
On August 27, the NFL announced new agreements with DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics. The deals cover official data, in-game ads, and use of league branding.
All three companies also run separate prediction market platforms, where customers trade on sporting outcomes. These platforms are not part of the NFL deals, according to reporting from ESPN and NBC Sports.
On August 10, Railbird Exchange, which DraftKings runs as DKeX, filed nine categories of football event contracts with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. DraftKings CEO Jason Robins said trading volume grew from $2.3 billion to $11 billion between April and July.
FanDuel Predicts launched in December with CME Group in five states. The company says it now offers contracts in all 50 states. Fanatics Markets is live in 22 states and four U.S. territories.
How Each Company Draws the Line
FanDuel keeps its NFL message narrow. A spokesperson told Gambling Insider the partnership will highlight FanDuel Sportsbook, without mentioning FanDuel Predicts. The company also separates its prediction market by state, offering it only where sports betting is not yet legal.
DraftKings draws its line by timing. Spokesperson Stephen Miraglia said prediction market campaigns can run outside NFL broadcasts but not during them. Its “Take Your Game Anywhere” campaign, launched August 31, claims availability in all 50 states, a claim the company says depends on combining its sportsbook and prediction market offerings.
Fanatics separates its businesses by brand. Vice president Kevin Hennessy said Fanatics Markets creative does not run during NFL programming and is not offered in states where Fanatics holds a betting license. Fanatics said its NFL ads instead focus on its app and rewards program, FanCash.
The American Gaming Association reports that prediction market ads made up 57% of digital sports betting ad impressions through July, compared to 43% for sportsbooks. The group has named Kalshi and Polymarket publicly, but a person familiar with the data said the total also includes DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics prediction market products.
All three companies have left the American Gaming Association since that data began circulating. DraftKings and FanDuel’s exits were reported in November, with Fanatics following shortly after launching Markets.
The NFL has not said how it approves products or who decides on the list. For now, DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics are each interpreting the boundary on their own, by calendar, by state, and by brand.
