Fubo Gaming signs first NBA partnership with Cleveland Cavaliers

Fubo Gaming and Cleveland Cavaliers have signed a long-term partnership, the first with an NBA franchise for the fuboTV’s subsidiary, announced both parties on Wednesday.

The deal will promote the Fubo Gaming brand through an integrated marketing campaign, highlighted by high-impact broadcast-visible signage, a presence on team television and radio game programming, announces a press release.

Moreover, Fubo Gaming will see activation on Cavs digital and social channels, and other marketing assets. The sports entertainment and wagering experience provider is also set to become the presenting partner of Cavs Pick ‘Em, the free-to-play live predictive gaming platform that debuted last season in GameDay+, a second screen platform inside the Cavs App championed by Westfield.

“We couldn’t be more excited to align our Cavaliers brand with Fubo Gaming, a company that shares a mutual passion for innovation and as we like to say, who are ‘obsessed with finding a better way’ in such a new and rapidly-evolving sports gaming category,” said Shelly Cayette, Cleveland Cavaliers Senior Vice President, Global Partnerships.

The Cleveland Cavaliers executive also expects the partnership to help bolster Fubo Gaming’s brand presence across the greater Cleveland region and all over Ohio, and within the team’s fanbase, “for many years to come.”

Beginning with the upcoming 2021-22 season, the Fubo Gaming brand will be prominently featured inside the bowl of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse with “a powerful blend” of in-venue signage that will be visible to all fans in attendance, as well as those watching games on television from home.

“We’re thrilled to have our first NBA team partnership with the Cleveland Cavaliers, an innovative sports franchise known to have one of the most passionate fan bases in the league,” said Scott Butera, president of Fubo Gaming. “This partnership is a natural extension of our overall goal to deliver sports fans dynamic and engaging experiences with the teams and sports they love.”

Fubo Gaming expects to launch its Fubo Sportsbook in the fourth quarter 2021, subject to regulatory approvals, while the launch time of Fubo Sportsbook in individual states is “to be announced.”

The fuboTV subsidiary describes itself as dedicated to delivering “unique, hyper-personalized” sports entertainment and wagering. Fubo Sportsbook is designed to offer a “holistic” betting experience that integrates what users are watching on fuboTV, combining data from both the betting and streaming platforms.

By leveraging this user behavior data, the company aims at better understanding consumers’ viewing preferences, thus recommending relevant bets. Fubo Sportsbook intends to turn “passive viewers into active, engaged participants,” says the company.

In anticipation of launch, Fubo Sportsbook has secured market access in states including Iowa and Arizona, and also has market access agreements in several other states. An agreement by which Paysafe is set to provide payment platform for the sportsbook was announced late last month.

The company’s first pro sports sponsorship was unveiled September 8, a New York Jets deal, and will see the creation of the Fubo Sportsbook Lounge at MetLife Stadium for Jets home games, “set to debut during the 2021-22 NFL season,”