Mims reviews the Super Bowl sportsbook commercials – DraftKings, FanDuel, BETMGM, ESPN BET, Fanatics, more
The Super Bowl is only hours away. Expect to see a plethora of advertisements that will vie for your attention and patronage. It is estimated that 58 million Americans will wager on the game and it will be watched by over 80 million in the United States alone. I decided to critique the sports betting advertisements I have seen. I’ll share the best ad from 2023-24.
DraftKings: This one is brand new. Comedian Kevin Hart talks bonus bets and feeling like former Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Jimmy Johnson in the Nineties. This promo is hilarious!
FanDuel: FanDuel featured the late actor Carl Weathers in some of the teasers leading up to the game. Weathers passed away on Feb. 1. He was known for his work in the "Rocky" movie franchise and was nominated for an Emmy for recent work in the Star Wars series, "The Mandalorian." After consulting with and receiving approval from his family, his last work will appear in the Super Bowl. This video will garner attention and includes Rob Gronkowski, former All-Pro tight end and Super Bowl Champion.
BETMGM: This video went for the jugular with celebrities galore. It includes actor Vince Vaughn, former All-Pro QB and Super Bowl Champion Tom Brady and Hall of Fame Hockey player Wayne Gretzky. It plays off the Brady Effect of love him or loathe him. Takes the comedic approach and it will resonate with the public. Using Vegas as the a background is perfect.
ESPN BET: While ESPN included some of their on-air personalities during their launch back in November, the best commercial from them is the Elements. It is 3 guys cooking burgers before the game and having a conversation about the weather. Every football fan that has ever experienced tailgating can relate to this video. I loved the creativity. As Seth Ader, Vice President of Brand Marketing, ESPN, stated about the marketing approach, "We believe it is a simple, relatable message that will soon become synonymous with ESPN BET.”
Fanatics: The Fan Cash promotion lets the patron earn part of their wager back up to a certain percentage that can be used to wager or purchase apparel. Fanatics is the only operator I have seen that lets you earn and utilize the benefits the way you want. The recent addition of Sabrina Pinto, formerly with Penn Interactive. will be a game changer for 2024.
Caesars Sports: The app was all in with comedian JB Smoove and the Manning brothers, Have not seen anything leading up to the game.
Rush Street Interactive: This app is showing growth and movement in profitability because of technological advances and expanding into several new jurisdictions. It was announced that they will be the exclusive online provider in the state of Delaware. Add this to having a presence in Canada, Columbia and Mexico and the global span of Rush Street is something to watch.
Get ready for my preview of the game coming soon!