Denver’s Pepsi Center has become the latest US major league sports venue to agree a commercial partnership with a sportsbook, while NHL expansion franchise Seattle Kraken has teamed up with financial data and software company PitchBook to enhance the premium hospitality offering at its new arena.
PointsBet and Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) have today (Friday) signed a multi-year partnership making PointsBet the official and exclusive partner of the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA), Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL), Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League (NLL), and their home arena, Pepsi Center.
The agreement spans across the entire gaming category, including retail and online sports betting, daily fantasy, online casino, and free-to-play games. As part of the deal, KSE will unveil a new in-arena destination at Pepsi Center to be live for the 2020-21 seasons, featuring three distinct areas: the PointsBet Sports Bar, an outdoor patio extension of the PointsBet Sports Bar, and the PointsBet Premium Club.
Pepsi Center’s club level will also undergo a rebrand for the 2020-21 seasons, and will be named the PointsBet Club Level featuring signage from the sportsbook and brand ambassador placements. KSE will also unveil significantly enhanced in-arena WiFi for the 2020-21 seasons. On gamedays, PointsBet will display prominent, broadcast-visible branding and signage, including on the stanchions at Nuggets games and on the ice and dasher boards for Avalanche contests.
The partnership is soon to be bolstered with the release of the upcoming KSE mobile app, designed to dramatically improve the experience of planning and attending an event at Pepsi Center. Upon launch, PointsBet will be the app’s title sponsor and will be prominently incorporated via digital media and branding, social posts and push notifications. PointsBet-specific push notifications and a PointsBet digital presence will also be featured in the respective apps of the three teams.
KSE executive vice-president and chief operating officer, Matt Hutchings, said: “Sports fans are hungry for the added dimension that fantasy sports and gaming add to their experience. PointsBet demonstrated just how much they value Denver and the Rocky Mountain Region, when they chose to locate their United States headquarters here in Colorado. They recognise, as do we, that Denver is a fast-growing and dynamic city home to some of the most passionate sports fans in the world.”
Though not yet available in Colorado, PointsBet is expected to soon release its sports wagering app for sports bettors within the state.
Johnny Aitken, CEO of PointsBet USA, said: “We’ve long stated that our goal is to become synonymous with Colorado sports betting, and this exclusive partnership with our hometown teams in the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, and Colorado Mammoth, plus premium entertainment spaces within their playing arena, is a momentous step in that process.
“We have defined ourselves via our proprietary, in-house technology on delivering the fastest and easiest sports betting experience in the USA, and Denver sports fans in-arena or at home watching games on the Altitude Sports Network will be provided many ways to elevate their viewing experience engaging with our market-leading PointsBet Sportsbook app.”
Earlier this week, Capital One Arena, home of the Washington Wizards NBA team and the Washington Capitals NHL franchise, set a first for a US sports facility after William Hill officially opened a sports book at the venue.
Meanwhile, PitchBook has entered into an agreement with Oak View Group (OVG) and the Kraken, to become an arena partner and suite level sponsor at Climate Pledge Arena at Seattle Center.
As part of the partnership, Climate Pledge Arena’s suite-level will be named ‘The PitchBook Suites.’ Additionally, Seattle-headquartered PitchBook will support the franchise’s expansion and business development initiatives as the Kraken’s exclusive financial data provider, which will enable platform access to team owners, players, front office staff and suite owners.
As suite level sponsor of the new arena, PitchBook said it will partner with OVG and the Kraken to reinvent the premium hospitality experience within The PitchBook Suites. Building on the luxury design, the suites will also incorporate various technology installations displaying data-driven stories derived from the PitchBook platform on companies, suite owners or partners of the arena.
“The way OVG and the Seattle Kraken have approached building this franchise and new arena is truly unique and we’re proud to be a part of their vision,” said John Gabbert, founder and CEO of PitchBook.
“Not only is the new team bringing excitement to our city, but it’s also giving back to Seattle in so many ways – from building the first net-zero carbon certified arena to supporting causes like YouthCare, Community Passageways and the Urban League of Seattle.”
The new team is set to debut in the NHL during the 2021-22 season and received its official moniker last week. In June, e-commerce giant Amazon acquired naming rights to the revamped KeyArena in Seattle and will use the contract at the new home of the city’s NHL expansion franchise to promote its climate change message.
It was earlier reported that the opening of the $930m (£714m/€790.5m), 18,100-seat arena is set to be pushed back to the late summer of 2021 amid delays caused by COVID-19.
Image: PointsBet
Share this