PointsBet announced Tuesday afternoon that it has entered into a groundbreaking corporate sponsorship agreement that makes the sportsbook provider a partner of University of Colorado athletics. The deal is between PointsBet and Learfield IMG College, which holds the media rights for the university's athletics programs.
The five-year partnership is the first between a sports betting operator and a major college sports program. It marks another stake planted in Colorado for PointsBet, which recently broke ground in Denver on a new North American headquarters and has a partnership in place with Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche, among other entities.
“As a tech company at heart that is proud to call the state of Colorado home, we are thrilled to announce this partnership as part of our ongoing quest to become synonymous with Colorado sports betting,” PointsBet USA CEO Johnny Aitken said in a news release. “Since announcing our plans for a new headquarters in Denver, we’ve consistently stated our desire to work closely with the state’s first-class university system and rich pool of tech talent. It is an honor to become a partner of the Colorado Buffaloes, where we look forward to bolstering general sports betting knowledge and responsible gaming awareness while recruiting some of the best and brightest minds to help install a foundation for prolonged success.”
The agreement also involves Buffalo Sports Properties, the locally based Learfield IMG College team that manages all broadcast operations and corporate partnerships for CU. BSP/Learfield’s deal with PointsBet covers the entire gaming category, including free-to-play sports games, daily fantasy sports, casino, online casinos, and retail and online sports betting.
The deal will give PointsBet visibility at the university's football stadium, Folsom Field, and the basketball arena, CU Events Center, through gameday promotions and advertising space, as well as placement on CU Buffs radio broadcasts and other media channels.
“We’re thrilled to have PointsBet as a partner and for the benefits this sponsorship will provide for our student-athletes for years to come,” CU athletic director Rick George said. “We are impressed with their commitment to raising awareness around responsible gaming. And we’re particularly excited whenever we can partner with sponsors who call Colorado home.”
