PartyPoker and Philadelphia 76ers Cut Ties
October 28, 2015 11:09 amIn January 2014, PartyPoker made the headlines after signing a landmark sponsorship deal with the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, but less than two years later the corporate relationship has now ended prematurely. The move has left many industry analysts puzzled, as PartyPoker has no dealings with the daily fantasy sports sector that is currently being investigated in the US. Unfortunately, 76ers CEO Scott O’Neil failed to shed much light on the termination, either, although he did hint that it had to do with “triggers [that allow for] adjustments based on market opportunity.”
In fact, it is uncertain which party actually ended the agreement, with one explanations suggested being that the bwin.party owned poker site may have seen little returns for its advertising campaign in the Pennsylvania/New Jersey market. Another reason suggested for the unceremonious conclusion of the sponsorship deal could be related to the potential sale of bwin.party to GVC Holdings, or simply that the NBA team may be repositioning itself ahead of possible legalized online gambling in Pennsylvania.
Whatever the reasons may be, all PartyPoker advertising signage will now be removed from the Philadelphia 76ers ground, although PartyPoker’s partnership deal with the NHL’s New Jersey Devils seems set to continue, with New Jersey still representing the biggest regulated iGambling market in the US.
PartyPoker is not the only gambling site who has seen a major US sponsorship deal come to an end recently, as DraftKings and the World Series of Poker (WSOP) have, too, severed links ahead of the resumption of the 2015 WSOP Main Event final table. Interestingly, the Philadelphia 76ers also has a sponsorship arrangement with DFS site DraftKings, which seems to be fully intact, and safe from danger for now. Meanwhile, the country’s other biggest DFS site, FanDuel, has organized an online petition to drum up support for the industry, with an extract from the form stating:
“If you love playing fantasy sports and want to keep playing, sign our petition today. We need you to stand with us to show that millions of fans believe fantasy sports should remain legal and accessible to all.”