The Associated Press Reaches an Agreement With FanDuel
The Associated Press (AP) has reached an agreement with FanDuel to exclusively use their odds and lines in its sports-related articles, game previews, and any other content that mentions betting odds with all other editorial content controlled by AP. The two entities will also work together in the integration of widgets supplied by FanDuel into the sports pages of APNews.com, and the AP wire will also distribute FanDuel contents.
“As sports betting becomes more commonplace, our customers are increasingly asking for this kind of information,” said Barry Bedlan, AP’s global director of text and new markets products. “It makes sense to work with one of the largest reputable sportsbooks in the United States to provide a consistent, credible reference point for AP and its customers.”
“AP is a globally recognized leader in trusted news, making them the ideal source for us to disseminate our industry-leading sportsbook’s proprietary odds and content,” said Adam Kaplan, FanDuel Group’s general manager and vice president of content.
The agreement further cements the role of sports betting companies in mainstream sports and general news reporting. As more states legalize wagering on sports, with over half of them doing so since the Supreme Court of the United States overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in 2018, an increasing number of networks, sports leagues, and franchises have formalized partnerships with sportsbook operators.
Agreement with FanDuel
FanDuel, which has successfully expanded its reach from the Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) space into online and retail sportsbook operation, is one of the leading sports-tech entertainment companies. The FanDuel Sportsbook is currently available online in eight states, with that number certain to grow as more states approve legal sports betting and complete implementation of previously approved regulations.
The Associated Press (AP) has reached an agreement with FanDuel to exclusively use their odds and lines in its sports-related articles, game previews, and any other content that mentions betting odds with all other editorial content controlled by AP.
Earlier this month, Florida became the largest and one of the latest states to approve sports betting, with the legislature finalizing approval of an agreement that governor Ron DeSantis had negotiated with the Seminole tribe, which has the exclusive ability to offer gambling in the state. Meanwhile, efforts in Texas to bring sports betting to that state have stalled, and it appears the Lone Star State will not join the growing list for at least two more years.
About the Associated Press (AP)
The Associated Press was founded in 1846 and has provided technology and other services to the news and sports reporting industry, with local news organizations generally relying on the AP for facts and details around which they can build their own stories and reporting. It’s significant that the organization has reached an agreement of this type with FanDuel as it adds credibility to sports betting-related information on which those outlets report.
The partnership also adds significant credibility to FanDuel, which is competing with larger sportsbook providers such as Caesar’s Entertainment/William Hill for leadership in a rapidly growing industry. With the significant global reach of the AP, an argument can be made that FanDuel’s odds could soon become the de facto standard in the industry, with thousands of sports and news outlets utilizing their odds when reviewing or reporting on sporting events.
