Online sports betting company DraftKings (DKNG +4.77%) and satellite television and wireless provider Dish Network Corporation (DISH +0.00%) shook hands publicly today on a partnership that will meld DraftKings sports betting and fantasy sports directly into Dish TV service. In a statement, Dish TV's group president Brian Neylon described the integration as "a great addition to the growing DISH TV Hopper platform -- a one-stop entertainment hub."
The integration will enable Dish TV customers to set up either sports bets or enter fantasy sports contests, both operated by DraftKings, directly through their television while watching live sports events. Starting the sports betting process or fantasy entry on the TV will activate a text message prompt through the DraftKings app on the user's smartphone or other mobile device to complete the bet or fantasy contest entry.
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DraftKings fantasy sports content will be available to all Dish TV users with Hopper, but sports betting will only be an option for viewers in states where this type of gambling has been legalized.
While the initial rollout will take place on the Dish TV Hopper DVR set-top boxes, the new partners are already planning to offer DraftKings services through other Dish platforms, too. These include the streaming television service Sling TV and Dish's wireless telecom brand Boost Mobile, though the announcement doesn't give a timetable for availability of DraftKings on either of these platforms.
DraftKings has been an investor favorite recently, seeing single-day gains of 5% or more as analysts predict continued growth for it, with sports betting continuing to spread across the country. With big states like Texas debating legalization, and now its Dish TV alliance, DraftKings appears positioned for potentially vigorous growth in 2021.
