DraftKings has renewed its multiyear content partnership with Meadowlark Media, extending a relationship that began in 2021.
DraftKings officially announced the deal Wednesday. It did not disclose financial terms of the renewal, however, the original deal was reportedly worth between $40 million and $50 million over three years.
DraftKings was an early investor in Meadowlark, the media venture launched by former ESPN president John Skipper and longtime sports personality Dan Le Batard.
Front Office Sports first reported last week that the agreement was soon to be announced.
DraftKings details partnership
Meadowlark will continue to distribute The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz and other shows from the Le Batard & Friends Network across platforms including DraftKings Network, YouTube, podcast services, FAST channels, Peacock, HBO Max and Twitch, according to the announcement. A new football-focused program is also slated to debut.
DraftKings will maintain exclusive rights to sell advertising and sponsorships across all of the content. Since the original deal, the company’s ad sales team has integrated more than 120 brands into Meadowlark properties through campaigns ranging from in-show sponsorships to live events.
“Meadowlark Media has achieved remarkable success, thriving in an ever-evolving and highly competitive industry,” DraftKings Chief Marketing Officer Stephanie Sherman said. “That success is a direct reflection of the exceptional talent they’ve brought together and their unwavering commitment to delivering engaging, high-quality content every single day.
“We are proud to share in their success and look forward to unlocking new and exciting opportunities over the course of this renewal.”
Strategic content reset
The deal comes nearly a year after DraftKings sold VSiN, the sports betting-focused radio and TV network it acquired in 2021, back to its founders. At the time, Sherman said the move was part of optimizing DraftKings’ content investments. DraftKings had acquired VSiN shortly before its original Meadowlark partnership.
“DraftKings is the best teammate we’ve ever had,” Le Batard said in the announcement. “The media industry is quaking everywhere, but we know we have the kind of support no one else in our business can claim, a backing that allows us to be fearless as we insist on changing the tired media industry standard together.”
Meadowlark says it produces more than 30 hours of weekly programming, with hundreds of millions of cumulative views across digital channels.
