Fanatics has reached an agreement with the NFL to become an official sportsbook partner, expected to be announced before the start of the NFL regular season.
The deal partially fills a sportsbook sponsorship category after the NFL's previous agreements with multiple operators expired earlier this year: FanDuel, DraftKings and Caesars. Negotiations with FanDuel and DraftKings are continuing, while Caesars is reportedly not pursuing a new agreement with the league.
According to reports in US outlets such as NBC, crediting Sports Business Journal, discussions with FanDuel and DraftKings have been affected by the increased cost of official streaming data from Genius Sports. Without an agreement with Genius Sports, the two operators cannot complete broader deals with the NFL.
The Fanatics agreement therefore gives the NFL an official sportsbook partner ahead of the 2026 season while negotiations with other operators remain ongoing. The agreement is not exclusive, allowing the league to continue pursuing additional sportsbook partnerships.
Fanatics already has an established relationship with the NFL through its sports merchandise business. In April, the company became the league's official on-site retail partner for major events including the NFL Draft, Super Bowl and International Games.
The NFL has also recently pushed for stronger betting integrity protections in prediction markets. In July, the league told the Commodity Futures Trading Commission that its proposed rules for event contract derivatives “fall significantly short” of protecting the integrity of sporting events and consumers, after the CFTC proposed amendments to its rules in June.
Ryan Gold, the Arizona Cardinals’ Director of College Scouting, was suspended indefinitely by the NFL in July after an investigation over inside information
