After Being Held at Arm's Length, DraftKings Gets Its Super Bowl Ad Embrace

The NFL recognizes that fantasy sports brands are part of a new reality

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Just 11 months after the pandemic paused professional sports and put a halt to DraftKings’ entire operation—costing the company millionsthe sports betting platform has made it to the Super Bowl.

With all the pomp and circumstance surrounding the Big Game, it’s easy to overlook the fact that DraftKings’ moment in Sunday’s spotlight—the brand is running two 15-second promotional advertisements made in-house in the second and third quarters—is actually quite a breakthrough.

Even though it was once held at arm’s length by pro leagues, the U.S.

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