NCAA Says ‘No Thank You’ to DraftKings and FanDuel Ads
There won’t be any DraftKings or FanDuel commercials airing during any of the upcoming NCAA events. That’s music to the ears of those who have grown tired of the market saturation during NFL and College Football games.
The NCAA submitted a letter to DraftKings and FanDuel executives advising it would cancel future meetings and ban advertising during its two marquee events, the NCAA College Basketball Championship game.
The approaching College Football Playoffs are not run by the NCAA directly, though the CFP tends to abide by NCAA bylaws. That organization has discretion over advertising during its three games.
"What I can say is that we have not discussed it," CFP executive director Bill Hancock told The Associated Press. "Whether we will or not remains to be seen. We're watching the situation with great interest."
The letter sent to the DFS executives by NCAA vice president of championships and alliances, Mark Lewis, notes that: “Because the NCAA believes the fantasy games meet the definition of wagering, it has decided to ban all advertising, on site and on television, during championship events — a potentially big hit for two companies that have become major advertisers, particularly on television. The NCAA said its advertising policy for broadcasters "has a longstanding section that states we will not accept advertising from sports wagering entities."
Lewis added: "The integrity of our college contests is paramount”.
- Don Shapiro, Gambling911.com
