Approved in time for 2021-22 season

Australia-based PointsBet Holdings Limited has made it onto the National Football League (NFL)’s Approved Sportsbook Operator (ASO) roster in time for the start of the 2021-22 season.

Announced August 19, the milestone will boost PointsBet’s brand visibility across the broad football market landscape, bolstered by a variety of sponsorship integrations across multi-media and digital assets proprietary to the NFL and its media partners.

Access to official NFL data gives the sportsbook operator?an additional route into enhanced fan engagement, as its subsidiary PointsBet USA continues its statewide expansion into the US professional sports market.

a cornerstone for PointsBet to provide the fastest and most comprehensive in-play betting experience”

PointsBet USA CEO Johnny Aitken expressed excitement over his firm’s selection as an NFL ASO ahead of the new season, which kicks off September 9. Aitken trumpeted that the tie-up “will be a cornerstone for PointsBet to provide the fastest and most comprehensive in-play betting experience in the world.”

PointsBet going for big NFL plays

According to the PointsBet press release, the NFL relationship will augment the brand’s pre-game appeal through enhanced in-play experience. The sportsbook’s fixed odds and PointsBetting platform is at the forefront of its objective to deliver the most NFL pre-game wagering options. Aitken also pointed out the brand will continue to grow its US market penetration “on a more seamless and reliable app across every customer touchpoint.”

Central to PointsBet’s NFL impact is legendary quarterback and future Hall of Famer Drew Brees. PointsBet appointed Brees — who is transitioning from the gridiron to the press box this season in a new a role with NBC Sports — brand ambassador earlier in 2021. While Brees gives the PointsBet brand a human face, he will also act as bridge between the already robust NBC Sports-PointsBet relationship.

Following the appointment as ASO for the NFL, PointsBet can now springboard off NBC Sports’ premium television and digital assets to create further brand awareness during NFL events.

Widening NFL, US sports footprint

The addition of the NFL to its roster strengthens the compacts PointsBet already has in place with professional football franchises and college athletics programs. In September 2020, the Chicago Bears named PointsBet the team’s first official sports betting partner, giving the global sportsbook operator access to its logos, marks, and intellectual property.

The Aussie-based operator had earlier that month inked a partnership deal with the University of Colorado. The gaming, betting, and fantasy sports partnership broke new ground, as PointsBet became the first operator to secure a deal with a major NCAA Division-I athletics program.?