Fanatics Betting & Gaming has signed a non-exclusive licensing deal with the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA).
Fanatics Betting & Gaming has signed a non-exclusive licensing deal with the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA).
The deal, first reported by Sports Business Journal, will make Fanatic’s sport betting platform the first officially licensed sportsbook of MLB Players, Inc.
It comes following news last month the player trade union’s commercial arm had sued several major sports betting operators over unauthorised use of player images last month.
The terms of the agreement between Fanatics, commercial licensing platform OneTeam and MLB Players, Inc were not disclosed.
The deal reportedly means Fanatics will be able to use the images of players on its website, mobile app and other sports betting platforms, as well as promotionally.
Will Fanatics be the MLBPA’s only partner?
Whether the non-exclusive nature of the agreement means other sportsbooks will sign similar deals with the MLBPA likely depends on the course of ongoing litigation.
MLB Players, Inc filed lawsuits against DraftKings, bet365, FanDuel and prop-style parlay DFS site Underdog in September.
The association claimed the businesses have been engaged in unauthorised use of MLB player images and likenesses on their platforms, as well as in advertising.
The for-profit subsidiary of the MLBPA said since early 2023 the operators have prominently featured every active MLB player on their apps.
The use of the player’s images went beyond information and served a promotional purpose, argued MLB Players, Inc’s attorneys.
While users can place bets without seeing player images, the subsidiary said, the sportsbooks deliberately use them to increase consumer appeal and attract more bets.
While MLB Players, Inc said some companies like FanDuel have limited rights to use player images in promotional materials, it argued these did not extend to use within the betting platforms themselves.
MLB Players, Inc’s attorneys said: “For professional athletes, the ability to control the commercial use of their names, images, and likenesses is a crucial return on their substantial career investment.”