Both Deals to Feature Premium Open-to-the-Public Venues
BOSTON, July 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tournament officials announced today that DraftKings Inc. (Nasdaq: DKNG) has been named the first “Betting Operator of the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational” August 2-8 at TPC Southwind and the first “Official Betting Operator of THE NORTHERN TRUST” August 18-22 at Liberty National Golf Club. The agreement enriches DraftKings’ relationship with the PGA TOUR, as they have recently announced plans for a retail sportsbook at TPC Scottsdale pending regulatory approval, as well as sponsorship deals as the Official Daily Fantasy Game and Official Betting Operator of THE TOUR. In the fall of 2020, DraftKings expanded its presence in the sport of golf by signing Bryson DeChambeau to a sponsorship deal.
As part of both agreements, DraftKings will have hospitality suites at both tournaments dubbed the “DraftKings House.” At World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, DraftKings House will be located beside the 18th green featuring an open-air patio with unbeatable views. DraftKings House at THE NORTHERN TRUST will be located between the 15th green and 16th fairway and include a VIP suite for private hospitality. Both spaces include areas that are open to the public. The DraftKings House will provide fans access to televisions airing golf and other live sports, phone chargers, complimentary Wi-Fi and premium food and beverage options for purchase.
“DraftKings is proud to evolve and expand our presence into the golf space by continuing to build upon the existing relationship with the PGA TOUR,” said Ezra Kucharz, chief business officer at DraftKings. “We look forward to providing fans an unapparelled experience at Liberty National and TPC Southwind.”
To gain access to the DraftKings House, fans can purchase a daily grounds ticket to the event, starting at $30 for Wednesday, $60 for Thursday or Friday and $70 to attend Saturday or Sunday. This ticket provides fans with access to several public venues, ability to taste local fare from notable restaurants and stand right along the rope line to watch the world’s best golfers in action.
“When the State of Tennessee legalized sports betting in the state last November, it opened the door for a number of new business opportunities in the sports industry,” said Executive Director Darrell Smith. “With the existing relationship between DraftKings and the PGA TOUR, integrating them into the Memphis market at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational was an easy decision. We’re excited to be one of the first PGA TOUR events to offer a public venue setting in this category. This sponsorship adds another on-site experience that caters to a variety of fans and we look forward to debuting it as we welcome the world’s best golfers return back to Memphis.”
“As the existing relationship between DraftKings and the PGA TOUR continues to evolve, integrating them into the New Jersey market at THE NORTHERN TRUST was a natural fit,” said Executive Director Julie Tyson. “When the state of New Jersey legalized sports betting in 2018, it opened the doors for a number of new business opportunities in the sports industry and we are proud to be one of the first PGA TOUR events to offer a setting in this category. Our tournament prides itself in having on-site experiences that cater to a variety of fans and we’re looking forward to debuting this innovative venue on one of the biggest stages in golf as the FedExCup Playoffs commence.”
For the first time, DraftKings will be hosting its Fantasy Golf World Championship at THE NORTHERN TRUST where 40 of the top daily fantasy players will compete for total prizes of $4 million. The event will take place in person spanning the four days of the tournament with the top finisher receiving $1 million.
A leader in digital sports entertainment and gaming, DraftKings is committed to creating inclusive and responsible pathways for people to build, create, imagine, and innovate through the DraftKings S.E.R.V.E.S. program. Responsible gaming is a key pillar of the S.E.R.V.E.S. program and DraftKings’ collective mission is to mitigate harm and protect the vulnerable with groundbreaking technology, training, resources and the support of evidence-based research.
DraftKings is the Official Daily Fantasy Game and an Official Betting Operator of the PGA TOUR. Fans can find the latest available daily fantasy golf contests as well as golf betting markets by downloading the DraftKings apps via iOS and Android.
About DraftKings
DraftKings Inc. is a digital sports entertainment and gaming company created to fuel the competitive spirit of sports fans with products that range across daily fantasy, regulated gaming and digital media. Headquartered in Boston, and launched in 2012 by Jason Robins, Matt Kalish and Paul Liberman, DraftKings is the only U.S.-based vertically integrated sports betting operator. DraftKings is a multi-channel provider of sports betting and gaming technologies, powering sports and gaming entertainment for 50+ operators in 17 countries. DraftKings’ Sportsbook is live with mobile and/or retail betting operations in the United States pursuant to regulations in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. DraftKings’ daily fantasy sports product is available in 7 countries internationally with 15 distinct sports categories. DraftKings is the official daily fantasy partner of the NFL, MLB, NASCAR, PGA TOUR and UFC as well as an authorized gaming operator of the NBA and MLB, an official betting operator of the PGA TOUR and the official betting operator of UFC. DraftKings also owns Vegas Sports Information Network, Inc. (VSiN), a multi-platform broadcast and content company.
ABOUT PGA TOUR
By showcasing golf’s greatest players, the PGA TOUR engages, inspires and positively impacts our fans, partners and communities worldwide.
The PGA TOUR, headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, co-sanctions more than 130 tournaments on the PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, Korn Ferry Tour, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR Series-China. Members on the PGA TOUR represent the world’s best players, hailing from 29 countries and territories (94 members are from outside the United States). Worldwide, PGA TOUR tournaments are broadcast to 212 countries and territories in 23 languages. Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations to maximize charitable giving. In 2019, tournaments across all Tours generated a record $204.3 million for local and national charitable organizations, bringing the all-time total to more than $3 billion.
Fans can follow the PGA TOUR on PGATOUR.COM, the No. 1 site in golf, on the PGA TOUR app and on social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram (in English, Spanish and Korean), LinkedIn, Twitter, WeChat, Weibo, Toutiao and Douyin.
About the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational
The City of Memphis has held a PGA TOUR event every year since 1958, and 2021 will mark Memphis’ third year hosting a World Golf Championships event. The WGC event annually brings the best players in the world to Memphis for one of the strongest fields of the year. The 2021 tournament will be played August 2-8. Since 1970, Memphis’ PGA TOUR stop has raised more than $50 million for the tournament’s primary charitable beneficiary, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, helping to ensure patients’ families never receive a bill and can focus solely on helping their child.
ABOUT THE NORTHERN TRUST
THE NORTHERN TRUST is the first of three events in the FedExCup Playoffs, the culmination of the season-long competition that is the centerpiece of the PGA TOUR Season. Played August 18-22, 2021 at Liberty National Golf Club in the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area, THE NORTHERN TRUST features do-or-die drama as the top 125 players compete to advance. With strong ties to the essential elements of New York culture, the event is a celebration of food, lifestyle, the very best golfers on the PGA TOUR and a fan experience that is unmatched. Many of the world’s top players have won THE NORTHERN TRUST including Patrick Reed, Sergio Garcia, Adam Scott, Jason Day, Matt Kuchar, Bryson DeChambeau and 2020 champion Dustin Johnson who following a record-setting 11-stroke victory margin at TPC Boston went on to be crowned as the season’s FedExCup champion. Since the tournament’s inception in 1967, THE NORTHERN TRUST has generated nearly $50 million for New York/New Jersey Metropolitan-area charities who are positively impacting lives and driving year-round change.
About the International Federation of PGA Tours
The International Federation of PGA Tours was formed in 1996 by golf’s five world governing bodies – the European Tour, Japan Golf Tour Organization, PGA TOUR, ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia and Sunshine Tour (South Africa PGA Tour) with the purpose of providing a forum for the world’s professional golf organizations to discuss issues of mutual importance and, together, develop and promote the game of golf on a global basis. As part of its mission, the Federation initiated the World Golf Championships in 1999. The Asian Tour joined the International Federation of PGA Tours in November 1999, while the Canadian Tour and the Tour de las Americas joined the Federation as associate members in 2000 and 2007, respectively.
In step with global growth of professional golf, the International Federation of PGA Tours announced an expansion and restructuring of its membership in 2009, adding the International Golf Association and additional professional golf tours, including – for the first time – women’s golf tours: China Golf Association; Korea Professional Golfers’ Association; Professional Golf Tour of India; LPGA Tour; Ladies European Tour; Australian Ladies Professional Golf Tour; Japan LPGA; Korean LPGA; and Ladies Asian Golf Tour.
DraftKings Forward Looking Statements
Certain statements made in this release are “forward looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words “estimates,” “projected,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “forecasts,” “plans,” “intends,” “believes,” “seeks,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “future,” “propose” and variations of these words or similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside DraftKings’ control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. For a discussion of additional risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see DraftKings’ Securities and Exchange Commission filings. DraftKings does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
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