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Friends,

Happy Friday! Before we get into today’s email, I just wanted to remind everyone that Athletic Brewing is my exclusive sponsor. We’ve seen really great traction, and have received some incredible feedback, but a reminder never hurt anyone :)

Simply put, they are the reason I was able to quit my job and start creating sports business content full time. If you’re enjoying my work, please give them a try — I think you’ll really enjoy it.

You can use the code “JOE25” for 25% off your first order.

Now that we’ve got that covered, let’s get into today’s email.

We’ll discuss two topics:

1. The DC regulation reducing supply and driving up price for online sports gambling sites like FanDuel and William Hill.

2. How USC is staying ahead of the curve, using their location and influence to help promote student athletes and drive recruiting success.

Enjoy.

FanDuel Partners With D.C. United

(📸 / FanDuel)

Earlier this week, D.C. United announced a ten-year agreement with FanDuel, making the largest online sports betting company in the U.S. their exclusive sports betting partner and placing a retail sportsbook within Audi Field.

The interesting part?

D.C. United had to unwind their existing partnership with Caesars Entertainment, which was announced just last year, to make the deal happen — and now we know why.

According to Sportico, D.C. United will “receive an annual fee, plus a percentage of every dollar wagered at the location” — simply put, there is way more upside.

Given FanDuel has existing partnerships with some of the most prestigious sports franchises in the U.S., including the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Giants, how was D.C. United able to get such a great deal?

They had leverage.

In addition to D.C. being one of the few jurisdictions which allows sports betting companies to operate physical retail locations within stadiums and arenas, the local government also granted city-wide mobile betting rights exclusively to the lottery — creating a perfect storm for local sports teams to capitalize on.

So what does it all mean?

It means that there are now four premium sports betting locations—including Audi Field, Nationals Park, and Capital One Arena—located in D.C., which every sportsbook operator in the country will be fighting for access to.

In this case—especially with Nationals Park nearby—FanDuel felt it was worth giving D.C. United a percentage of the financial upside in order to jump the line and secure their sports betting retail location for the next decade.

ICYMI — William Hill secured their D.C. retail location earlier this year through a partnership with Capital One Arena, home to the Washington Wizards and Capitals.

So what’s next?

With Capital One Arena and Audi Field already snatched up, keep an eye on Nationals Park to secure the next major sportsbook and stadium D.C. sponsorship.

As supply continues to decline, don’t be surprised if they get an even better deal.

USC Launches BLVD Studios

(🎥 / USC Football)

With the ability for student-athletes to profit off their name, image, and likeness (NIL) seemingly around the corner, the University of Southern California announced the launch of “BLVD Studios” yesterday — a collaboration between the schools legendary football team and content creation company J1S.

USC says the addition of an in-house creative team, which will be at the disposable of student-athletes, provides the “resources, education, and strategy to help student-athletes build, promote, and leverage their brands and maximize their market value.”

Other schools like BYU and Tulane have rolled out similar initiatives, but considering USC is one of the most iconic brands in sports—in one of the largest media markets in the country—this announcement just feels different.

Not only is building a personal brand imperative for student-athletes of the past, present, and certainly future, but USC is intelligently combining their inherent market and brand recognition with a first-mover advantage to help with recruiting.

It’s a win-win.

Don’t believe me?

Here’s recruiting target Kamari Ramsey, a four-star safety in the class of 2022, dropping a few eyeball emojis in response to the announcement.

Even better, BLVD Studios got right to work — making all of USC’s current high school football commits new graphics to continue marketing and promoting their decision.

In the end, I’m a big fan of the announcement.

Trust me — in today’s digital world, this kind of stuff matters to young athletes.

Some will say that it’s USC’s latest attempt to take advantage of student-athletes, and to some degree it might be, but it’s a massive step in the right direction and provides true tangible value, both monetarily and socially, to student athletes of the future — and if USC can make it a win-win through recruiting, more props to ‘em.

Enjoy the weekend and we’ll talk Monday.

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Extra Credit

With the Masters delayed until November this year, the Jordan Brand has announced plans to release four special edition golf shoes before, during, and after the legendary tournament.

First up — The Air Jordan 5 “Better Lucky Than Good” golf shoes.

Price: $220

Release Date: Nov 9th, 2020

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