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by Flutter Entertainment (NYSE:FLOOD) FanDuel announced it will alter its 2024 Super Bowl ad featuring Carl Weathers following the actor’s death late last week. The original version of the commercial featured former NFL star Rob Gronkowski and was a continuation of the promotion last year, when Gronk missed the “FanDuel kick of destiny.”
“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Carl Weathers,” the sportsbook updated on its social media sites. “Throughout his life, Carl was an iconic talent who had a profound impact on the people he worked with on and off the screen. FanDuel was fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with him during our Super Bowl. We are adapting our campaign accordingly out of respect for the family during their time of grief,” FanDuel’s statement read.
Overall, sports betting advertising during the Super Bowl will be lower this year than a year ago. At DraftKings (NASDAQ:DKNG) will run a high-profile ad featuring Kevin Hart, while BetMGM (MGM) (OTCPK:GMVHF) will run an ad featuring Tom Brady, Wayne Gretzky and Vince Vaughn. It’s estimated that 30-second Super Bowls will cost about $7 million this year. U.S. Super Bowl viewership is expected to top 110 million. Last year’s Super Bowl was the most-watched television event in history.
FanDuel (FLUT) and DraftKings (DKNG) are expected to destroy last year’s sports betting run this year, with new states in the betting mix. The Legal Sports Report projects that $1.29 billion will be legally wagered on the Super Bowl, which would mark a 19.4% increase over last year’s Super Bowl. Flutter Entertainment (FLUT) shares rallied 6% in the US last week following its listing on the New York Stock Exchange. DraftKings (DKNG) rose 4.25% as investors jumped into sports betting ahead of the Big Game.