On Monday, DraftKings (NASDAQ: DKNG) and NBCUniversal announced a comprehensive advertising deal that will allow the gambling business to place advertisements during some of the broadcaster's major athletic events, such as NBA All-Star Weekend and Super Bowl LX.

The multiyear agreement's financial details were not made public, but it will increase DraftKings' exposure on a number of the media company's platforms, including Telemundo, NBC Sports, The Golf Channel, Peacock streaming service, and sports broadcasts on the main network.

"By leveraging NBCUniversal’s expansive reach and premium sports content, DraftKings will engage fans across linear, streaming, and digital ecosystems,” according to a statement. “The agreement will also create opportunities for DraftKings to work with NBCUniversal’s talent and further strengthen DraftKings’ position as a leader in delivering immersive sports entertainment experiences.”

Boston-based DraftKings also receives exclusive rights to "purchase digital sponsorships in several categories, including online sports betting, iGaming, daily fantasy sports, online lottery products, and online horse wagering categories" as part of the agreement with NBCUniversal.

DraftKings' favorable timing in the NBC deal

The agreement with NBCUniversal may benefit DraftKings, even though the growth of sports betting advertising in recent years has drawn a lot of criticism and several gambling companies have reduced marketing expenditures to boost profitability. The reason is good timing.

This season, NBC will resume airing NBA games, and Super Bowl LX will air on this network in February. The Winter Olympics, which begin on February 6, 2026, will also be broadcast on its family of networks. This suggests that DraftKings advertising may be visible at a number of high-profile future events.

“Under the agreement, DraftKings will be featured across NBCUniversal’s extensive portfolio of sports properties, spanning the NFL, PGA TOUR, Ryder Cup, Premier League, NCAA football and basketball, NBA, WNBA, and more. The deal also includes NBCUniversal’s tentpole events, including Super Bowl LX, NBA All-Star Weekend, and the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup on Telemundo,” according to the press release.

DraftKings is already present on NBC's "Sunday Night Football" (SNF), where fantasy football expert Matthew Berry discusses the odds of the sportsbook in connection with different bets related to the game that is being shown.

DraftKings Makes Its Name Known

DraftKings' exceptional brand recognition, which is a result of the operator's willingness to invest in media-related endeavors, is one of the reasons it is a part of a US sports betting duopoly (FanDuel is the other half).

This includes connections with Warner Bros. Discovery's Turner franchises, "Thursday Night Football" on Amazon Prime, and a content distribution deal with Meadowlark Media.

Sportico claims the NBCUniversal deal is worth less than $100 million a year to the broadcaster, even though the financial details were not made public.