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On the heels of a controversial plan to increase season ticket prices, Liverpool FC just announced another controversial deal with daily fantasy sports site DraftKings. One more controversial financial dealing and we get the next one free.
The added revenue is vital to continue keeping up with the Jones's, but these daily fantasy sites are shady businesses. They are essentially legalized gambling, with almost all of the winnings going to a small fraction of top competitors (with the added help of complex computer algorithms). Average players essentially have no chance to earn money over the long-term.
The announcement did not come with details about the size and scope of the partnership. But it did come with the standard "We're happy to be involved with one of the biggest clubs" statement.
"We are really excited to be partnering with one of the biggest clubs in English football," said DraftKings' CEO Jason Robins. "Their world-renowned passionate fanbase provides us with a great opportunity to engage with new audiences. DraftKings is an innovative way to play fantasy football and fans are going to love it."
I'm now going to take a shower, eat a box of Dunkin Donuts munchkins, and forget this deal ever happened.
Comedian and Liverpool supporter John Oliver did an excellent take down of DraftKings (and similar sites) in his show Last Week Tonight a few months back. The aforementioned Jason Robins made a couple of appearances. You can enjoy the clip below: