BallyBet Partnership WIth Major League Fishing

Bally’s is positioning itself as a serious player in the US sports betting space. The latest news has Bally’s becoming the official sports betting provider of Major League Fishing (MLF). And while this is far from the biggest splash the company has made, it highlights a core component of the Bally Bet model.

The Major League Fishing deal slots in nicely with Bally’s other moves on this front, including its deal with Sinclair Broadcasting that led to the rebrand of Fox Sports Regional Networks to Bally Sports. As part of the deal, Bally’s and Sinclair “will work collectively to facilitate the production and broadcast of Bally’s-produced content during the current non-game windows on Sinclair’s 19 regional sports networks (“RSNs”) recently rebranded Bally Sports.”

You can immediately see where MLF events will fit into this model.

Another link in that chain was the purchase of the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP), which will air on Bally Regional Sports Networks. That deal is a super-sized version of the MLF agreement and largely flew under the radar.

“The AVP is an attractive asset that complements our rapidly expanding US sports betting vision,” said Bally’s senior vice president Adi Dhandhania. “Donald and the entire AVP team have done a tremendous job developing the league and transforming it into what it is today.”

Once again, it’s easy to see how Bally’s can deploy the AVP in conjunction with its other assets.

The Bally’s and MLF Deal

According to the press release, “Bally Bet will serve as title sponsor of MLF’s Angler of the Year (AOY) Award for the Bass Pro Tour, with Bally’s gaining streaming rights to Bass Pro Tour events.”

“Our partnership with Bally’s will offer our loyal fans and anglers another unique avenue to engage with professional fishing and the Bass Pro Tour,” said MLF president and chief executive officer Jim Wilburn.

“Integrating Bally’s industry-best online sports betting and unique gaming offerings with MLF’s Scoretracker Live and fan-friendly platforms position us to drive viewership, participation, and large-scale adoption among sports fans.”

On its end, Bally’s will deploy two new free-to-play games, MLF Predictor Game, and MLF Fantasy Fishing.

Fishing betting may not seem like a big get, but it tops the ratings on the Outdoor Channel and does exceptionally well in the 25-54 male demographic.

The Bigger Picture: A Well-Executed Marketing Strategy

The AVP and MLF may not lead to massive sports betting engagement, but they provide a means to bolster their brand and engage with niche audiences of sports fans.

Essentially, while Bally’s competitors pay for commercials, for logos on the sidelines, and to have commentators plug their sportsbooks, Bally’s has created a situation where it is the sport (even if it’s lesser sports) but, more importantly, the distributor of the shows through Bally Sports. As such, the Bally’s brand will always be front and center on BSNs, even when one of its competitors’ commercials is running.  

Coupled with Bally’s other non-exclusive league deals with the NHL, MLB, NBA, and WNBA, the company appears to be implementing a three-pronged approach to marketing. Those prongs are brand promotion on Bally Sports Regional Networks, exclusivity deals with niche sports, and the required agreements with major sports leagues.