Hard Rock Digital pens multi-year partnership with Florida Panthers
Deal with NHL side will see operator engage fans via the Hard Rock Bet app and in person at Amerant Bank Arena
Hard Rock Digital has penned a multi-year partnership with National Hockey League (NHL) team the Florida Panthers to become the franchise’s first-ever official sports betting partner.
Hard Rock Digital will see its Hard Rock Bet brand become the Panthers’ official partner, with the relationship kicking off yesterday, April 9, against the Ottawa Senators.
The new partnership will see Hard Rock Bet engage with fans via the mobile app as well as in person at Amerant Bank Arena.
During the match against the Senators, there were on-site activations with fans, marquee signage, digital branding, and enhanced dasher boards all promoting the brand.
Additional enhancements will be unveiled throughout the 2024-25 season to further engage Panthers fans with the operator.
Nick Menas, Hard Rock Digital MD of corporate strategy, said: “We’re excited to join Panthers territory and partner with the club to bring hockey fans closer to the action.
“With thousands of bets available on sports from around the world and live streaming of NHL games nightly on the Hard Rock Bet app, we’re thrilled to entertain hockey fans like no one else can.”
Shawn Thornton, Florida Panthers chief revenue officer, added: “We are thrilled to enter into an exciting new partnership with Hard Rock Bet.
“Through this partnership, we will increase fan engagement and excitement around the game of hockey in South Florida and beyond by adding an entirely new element to the game.”
The deal expands Hard Rock Digital’s presence in the Sunshine State, where it is the effective sole operator, despite the ongoing legal tussle regarding Floridian sports betting.
The Seminole Tribe-owned operator went live in December after a soft launch period and currently has a monopoly in the state due to a compact agreement between the Seminoles and the Florida state government.
In the legal dispute, West Flagler Associates has challenged the validity of this compact. Hard Rock Digital has taken the case to the US Supreme Court after the DC Court of Appeals sided with the Seminole Tribe in December last year.
The Department of the Interior has also given its support to the Seminoles, leading West Flagler to submit a writ of certiorari to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court extended the deadline for the Department of the Interior to respond to the writ.
This extended deadline is now May 13, one month longer than the previous deadline of April 12.