PrizePicks has announced a partnership with the San Diego Padres, becoming the team's official daily fantasy sports partner in the first deal of its kind for the company in California.
The agreement, announced Wednesday, will give PrizePicks prominent visibility at Petco Park and across Padres digital platforms throughout the 2025 MLB season. The partnership includes:
LED signage and concourse banners throughout the ballpark
Banner advertising on Padres.com
Pregame commercial reads during broadcasts on Padres.TV
Text-to-enter promotions for fans
"The Padres are one of the most dynamic franchises in Major League Baseball, and we're proud to be part of their journey," said Mike Quigley, Chief Marketing Officer at PrizePicks. "PrizePicks players and Padres fans share a deep passion for the game, and we look forward to creating new ways to engage and connect with fans both in San Diego and across the country."
As part of the celebration, PrizePicks is launching a special in-game promotion: when the Padres score 10 or more runs at home, fans can enter a contest for a chance to win a $10,000 free PrizePicks lineup and tickets to a future Padres game.
"We are excited to partner with PrizePicks to bring Padres fans even closer to the game of baseball," said Sergio del Prado, Padres Executive VP of Business Affairs. "Together, we are creating unique opportunities for fans to follow and connect with the team and are giving them even more reason to celebrate when the Padres score."
The partnership marks an interesting strategic move in California, where online sports betting remains illegal and DFS operates in something of a legal gray area. California is estimated to be the largest market for daily fantasy sports, accounting for approximately $200 million in annual entry fees.
PrizePicks continues to operate daily fantasy contests in California while the state attorney general's office reviews the legality of fantasy sports offerings. This review began in 2023 following a request from former state Senator Scott Wilk to determine whether DFS contests are games of skill or chance.
In response, PrizePicks sent a letter to the Attorney General's office providing research indicating that its DFS contests are games of skill, which are not banned under California's gaming laws.
The timing of this partnership may prove strategic, as efforts to legalize sports betting in California have recently gained new momentum. Earlier this month, The Sports Betting Alliance—which includes BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics Sportsbook—unveiled a plan that would create a single tribal entity to oversee sports betting licenses for national operators.
This plan could potentially appear on the 2026 ballot, making PrizePicks' market entry well-timed to establish brand presence ahead of any regulatory changes.
The Padres partnership follows PrizePicks' recent renewal of its agreement with the Atlanta Braves, continuing the company's strategy of expanding its MLB relationships. That three-year extension built upon a partnership first established in 2020 with PrizePicks' hometown team.
As the largest DFS operator in the United States, PrizePicks appears to be strengthening its foothold in California, positioning itself for potential changes in the state's betting landscape while navigating the current regulatory environment.