Underdog has announced a multi-year partnership with Major League Baseball team the Kansas City Royals, securing a market access agreement for licensed sports betting in Missouri. The deal also covers joint marketing campaigns and philanthropic initiatives.
The partnership comes as Underdog awaits regulatory approval from the Missouri Gaming Commission, where its sports betting license application remains under review.
The company currently offers licensed betting in North Carolina and provides daily fantasy sports products across numerous US states.
As part of the collaboration, the Royals and Underdog will expand on an existing relationship that has included fan-focused initiatives such as "Bark at the Park" and the "Underdog Hot Dog Derby."
Commenting on the new deal, Stacie Stern, Underdog's SVP of Government Affairs and Partnerships, stated: "The Royals have forged a deep and authentic connection with baseball fans throughout the Kansas City region, in Missouri and beyond.
"We've built our products with the same approach - real, organic connection with sports fans to get to one goal: make sports more fun.
"We are going to work with the Royals to bring the best sports betting experience possible to fans in Missouri, while we continue to drive innovation in sports gaming and expand our product offerings in new states."
Brooks Sherman, Royals President of Business Operations, added: "The Royals look forward to continuing and enhancing our partnership with Underdog, which is our longest-standing relationship in sports gaming.
"We've partnered with them on some of our most engaging fan programs, and we look forward to working with Underdog to provide Royals fans throughout Missouri the opportunity to have even more fun while watching sports."
If approved, the Missouri license would allow Underdog to expand its sportsbook operations in a state with a strong sporting culture and established fan base.
This news comes off the back of a number of recent developments for Underdog, including the announcement of a partnership with Crypto.com earlier this month to launch prediction markets in the US, reflecting the company's broader ambitions to expand into new verticals.
Underdog recently partnered with Crypto.com to enter the sports event contract space
