- The National Hockey League (NHL), MGM Resorts and BetMGM have announced a multi-year extension to their marketing partnership.
- MGM Resorts and BetMGM are an ‘official resort partner’ and ‘official sports betting partner’ of the NHL.
- MGM Resorts is hosting the NHL All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas on February 4 and 5.
The 2021-2022 NHL All-Star Game is taking place in Las Vegas this weekend. The event will be held at T-Mobile Arena, home of the Vegas Golden Knights which is operated by MGM Resorts. In addition, many of the NHL All-Star Weekend events will take place at ‘MGM Resorts iconic properties along the Las Vegas Strip’. This no doubt explains the timing of an announcement from the NHL, MGM Resorts and BetMGM about a multi-year extension of their marketing partnership.
Here’s what the partnership entails:
As an official sports betting and resort partner of the NHL, BetMGM and MGM Resorts will continue using NHL brands to enhance the experience for both customers and guests. BetMGM and MGM Resorts will continue to be integrated into the NHL’s jewel events, with camera-visible signage and on-site activation opportunities. Additionally, BetMGM and MGM Resorts will maintain the ability to reach hockey fans through communications to subscribers from the NHL’s fan database.
Both brands leverage NHL media channels, including BetMGM odds integration within the NHL Network’s “Showcase Odds” segment and MGM Resorts sponsoring a look at the NHL® All-Star “First Timers” across NHL social platforms. MGM Resorts became the NHL’s first official sports betting partner in 2018.
MGM Resorts may have been the league’s first official sports betting partner but they definitely weren’t the last. The NHL website’s ‘Corporate Marketing Partners’ page lists sports betting data aggregator Sportradar as a ‘Global Partner’. MGM Resorts and FanDuel Sportsbook–along with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority–are ‘North American Partners’. ‘USA Partners’ include Bally, Betway, BetMGM, PointsBet and William Hill. At some point the William Hill sponsorship will either go away or change to a Caesars Sportsbook logo. Not listed are a number of international sports betting partnerships including Tipsport (Czech Republic and Slovakia), Liga Stavok (Russia and the CIS region), OlyBet (Baltic region), and Interwetten (Austria and Germany).
Evin Dobson, NHL Group Vice President, Partnership Marketing, is pleased to be extending the deal with BetMGM and MGM Resorts:
“We are thrilled to renew our partnership with MGM Resorts and BetMGM. Our extension enables us to continue to work together on delivering innovative content programming to connect with our passionate fans. We look forward to continuing to grow our relationship with MGM Resorts and BetMGM and collaborate on new opportunities for fan engagement.”
Lance Evans, Senior Vice President, Sports & Sponsorships, MGM Resorts, shared a similar sentiment:
“Our partnership with the NHL has been a tremendous success, allowing us to provide guests and hockey fans with unparalleled access to their favorite teams. Alongside BetMGM, we remain committed to helping the League grow its audience, while offering fans new and entertaining experiences.”
BetMGM Chief Executive Officer Adam Greenblatt also chimed in:
“This collaboration allows BetMGM to deliver the best-in-class hockey product, including a wide-variety of NHL wagering options. We will continue to work with the League to reach new fans, as we expand into new markets.”
BetMGM is a partnership between MGM Resorts and UK based Entain Plc. In addition to their BetMGM sportsbook brand they offer iGaming under the Borgata Casino, Party Casino and Party Poker brands.
