The NFL got its feet wet in the sports betting sector this past spring when it announced partnerships with a trio of household sportsbooks. Commissioner Roger Goodell isn't stopping there.
The league recently announced four more approved sportsbook partnerships, with the 2021 campaign just days away.
Goodell, who recently appeared on Morten Andersen's podcast, Great Dane Nation on VegasInsider.com, had this to say in regards to sports betting's affect on NFL fans.
"The gaming — it's another way for people to engage," he said. "Fantasy football became a crazy thing and that's a form of this in some ways. Which is another way for people to engage; they will watch a game to the end because they're watching a fantasy player. I think this is another extension of that.
"People will have another reason to watch football. And to engage in a way. It might bring a broader fan base who says, 'you know what? I love that element of that.' And now they learn more about football."
DraftKings, FanDuel and Caesars Entertainment became the first three to link up with the league in April; PointsBet, BetMGM, FOX Bet and WynnBET recently followed suit.
The last four mentioned agreed to deals that allow the companies to purchase advertising space during NFL games. However, the league has said it will limit ads to six per game.
As sports betting continues to be legalized across the country and interest grows — as well as the dollars involved — it was impossible for the NFL to ignore any longer.
"We keep talking about how do we make more fans, how do we develop more fans," Goodell said in the interview, which airs on Wednesday, September 8. "Technology, opportunities for engagement like gambling, give us the ability to create an even larger audience than the current close-to-200-million fans that we have."
The NFL season kicks off Thursday, Sept. 9 when the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on the Dallas Cowboys.
