DraftKings CEO Jason Robins spoke about a wide range of topics during a Facebook Live chat on Tuesday, including details about a pending merger with FanDuel and international expansion.
Few details on DFS merger
The biggest question put in front of Robins during the chat was about the merger with FanDuel that is planned to be finalized at some point in 2017. That merger is currently undergoing a review by the Federal Trade Commission to make sure it does not run afoul of anti-trust laws.
What Robins said on the DraftKings-FanDuel merger
“It’s super early, we’re very focused on just trying to get a deal done,” Robins said. “And a lot of the questions that all of you probably have, such as what our platforms will look like, we just don’t have answers to yet. We promise that all of the decisions that will be made will be really well-thought out.
‘We do have a little bit of a time; we’re not going to rush any decisions,” Robins continued. “We want to make sure we get it right.”
He touched on the merger again when answering a question from a user:
I really think at this point we don’t have a lot of information. Hopefully it’s encouraging to everyone watching this that we’re really taking our time. These are two companies with … a very established platform, employee base, all those things. It’s just going to take time to sort through and get to know everybody and figure out what the best decisions are.
Robins encouraged DraftKings and FanDuel users to provide feedback on what they would like to see in the combined company.
Working with FanDuel
He also mentioned his company’s history and early discussions with FanDuel:
Even though DraftKings and FanDuel for a long time have had a bitter rivalry, I have been so pleasantly surprised and thrilled as I have gotten to know the people over there. It’s so similar in terms of who the people are, a lot of people passionate about the product and a lot of people passionate about the fantasy sports industry.
And it’s really exciting to me to see that’s really what’s risen above for everyone. Everyone just wants to do what takes the fantasy sports industry to new heights. … When you have two teams that are like that, I think good things are going to come from collaborating together.
International expansion for DraftKings?
Robins said DraftKings — or the new merged company — would “absolutely” be expanding into new international markets. Currently, DraftKings serves much of the US and Canada, and launched DraftKings UK earlier this year.
Robins also said “we will have some announcements soon” on international expansion.
“We are very excited about the results we have seen from our initial overseas expansion in the UK, and we plan on expanding to other countries over the coming years,” Robins said. “I don’t know exactly which ones and when. That’s something that our chief international officer is still evaluating.”
DraftKings likely plans on getting into other regulated European markets. Robins has also eyed Latin America and Asia in the past.
You can watch his full comments here:
