Fanatics Sportsbook is launching its first-ever Super Bowl ad campaign. The company, which was only formed as an offshoot of Fanatics Inc. in 2023, has signed reality star and supermodel Kendal Jenner to feature in the ad.
The Super Bowl is one of the biggest single betting events in the global sporting calendar, and betting companies splash out huge sums on celebrity-fronted campaigns, although there is some evidence to suggest such campaigns are losing their effectiveness.
Fanatics Sportsbook's rise
A celebrity Super Bowl ad is a logical move for Fanatics Sportsbook, considering its background.
The betting platform is part of the Fanatics Inc. company.
The parent company launched in 2011 as a sportswear and official merchandise retailer, dealing primarily with sports players and teams. It launched Candy Digital – a platform dedicated to the sale of Non-Fungible Token (NFT) collectables - in 2021.
Two years later, in 2023, Fanatics acquired and rebranded PointsBets in the US, marking its sportsbook launch. The company is heavily entrenched in the sports industry overall, not just in sports betting.
The Kardashian curse
Despite a recent YouGov survey highlighting sports stars as the best bet for sportsbook ads, and its obvious links to multiple sports franchises, Fanatics has opted for celebrity superstar Kendall Jenner for its first Super Bowl halftime campaign.
The relevancy? Jenner has dated several high-profile NBA players, including Blake Griffin, Ben Simmons and Devin Booker – all of whom have endured dips in playing form while dating the Keeping Up With The Kardashians alum.
The ad plays into the alleged 'Kardashian curse' with Jenner claiming:
"Any basketball player who dates me kind of hits a rough patch", before going on to say: "While the world's been talking about it, I've been betting on it. How else do you think I can afford all this? Modelling?"
She ends the ad, in a private jet, saying: "Kardashian curse… that's not even my last name."
Super Bowl betting
The ad will air during this year's Super Bowl LX halftime break. The 'Big Game' will be contested between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks on February 8 and is expected to draw over 100 million domestic viewers.
American bettors are expected to wager more than one billion dollars on the showpiece event, so it's hardly surprising that betting companies are willing to spend tens of millions on a single ad placement.
One bettor, Mattress Mack, a furniture salesman (and sports gambling legend) from Houston, has placed a $2m bet on the New England Patriots to lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
He will be hoping to repeat his 2022 exploits, when he picked up $75m on $10m of bets on the Houston Astros winning the World Series. It was, at the time, believed to be the biggest ever payout in US sportsbook history.
The Patriots are currently priced at +190 to win, while the Seahawks are favorites at -230. Both teams were considered outsiders when the season started, having been given odds of 60/1.
