The WNBA has a long ways to go to reach the popularity of other U.S. professional sports leagues. But new technology platforms like Twitter and FanDuel are becoming important growth tools for the 21-year-old organization as it looks to expand its marketing efforts around the world. WNBA Commissioner Lisa Borders was in Seattle this weekend for the WNBA All-Star Game, held in the Emerald City for the first time since the league launched back in 1997. She spoke to reporters before the game on Saturday at Key Arena and shed light on the league’s growth in recent years. Borders, who… Read More
FanDuel and DraftKings have run into a roadblock for their proposed merger. The FTC announced today that it will, along with attorney general offices from California and District of Columbia, seek legal action to block the merger of the two daily fantasy sports giants. The deal would “control more than 90 percent of the U.S. market for paid daily fantasy sports contests,” the FTC noted. The merger was first announced this past November. “This merger would deprive customers of the substantial benefits of direct competition between DraftKings and FanDuel,” Tad Lipsky, acting director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition, said… Read More
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Skill or chance: Which is it when you play fantasy football? State Sen. Doug Ericksen, R- Ferndale, says fantasy football is a game of skill, and he wants the law to say so, as well. If fantasy football is a game of chance, it is illegal under Washington’s gambling laws. If legislation declares fantasy football a game of skill, it becomes legal under the state’s gambling laws. Small informal leagues among friends have flown beneath the radar on this issue. Rob McKenna, former state attorney general and a lobbyist for DraftKings and FanDuel, testified that fantasy football… Read More
The two leaders of daily fantasy sports, DraftKings and FanDuel, have agreed to merge. The companies announced the long-rumored deal Friday morning, with a pending transaction expected to close next year. Financial terms were not disclosed. DraftKings CEO Jason Robins will be CEO of the newly-combined company, which will be co-headquartered in New York and Boston; FanDuel CEO Nigel Eccles will be chairman of the board, which includes three directors from DraftKings, three directors from FanDuel, and one independent director. “We have always been passionate about providing the best possible experience for our customers and this merger will help advance our goal of building a… Read More
