DraftKings is building a digital sports entertainment empire, using a $750 million lottery app buy and aggressive content plays to challenge the traditional viewing experience. But is this push towards integrated streaming and betting truly making it the Netflix of sports?
DraftKings is undergoing a major strategic pivot. Moving far beyond its roots in daily fantasy sports and online wagering, the company aims to become your go-to digital sports entertainment hub. CEO Jason Robins talks about “forever transforming how people experience sports.” This ambitious vision involves weaving together live sports viewing, original content, and seamless betting opportunities. But does this complex strategy truly mirror Netflix’s disruptive model? Let’s break down the moves.
The $750 Million Jackpocket Move Was About Audience, Not Glamour
Forget celebrity private equity. The major $750 million capital investment referenced recently wasn’t a splashy deal with SKKY Partners (Kim Kardashian’s firm focused on consumer goods like skincare). That was a misunderstanding. Instead, DraftKings finalized the purchase of Jackpocket, a leading digital lottery courier service, back in May.
Jackpocket operates legally in 18 US states, providing instant access to state lotteries via its app. It boasts a large, active user base distinct from traditional sports bettors. DraftKing’s strategy here is clear: bring these lottery players into its fold and cross-sell them on its higher-margin Sportsbook and online casino (iGaming) products. DraftKings expects Jackpocket to add $260-$340 million in revenue by 2026 and $350-$450 million by 2028.
The immediate impact? Monthly Unique Payers (MUPs) jumped 28% year over year to 4.3 million in Q1 2025, with Jackpocket accounting for more than half of that growth. Yes, the Average Revenue Per MUP dropped slightly to $108, reflecting lower lottery spend than sports betting. The executives at Draft Kings are playing the long game, though. It seems they’re betting on converting those new users over time.
Acquisitions Fuel a Vertically Integrated Entertainment Engine
Jackpocket is just one piece. DraftKings has been on an acquisition spree designed to control the entire user journey, moving towards a vertically integrated entertainment and betting platform. Think less reliance on outside tech, more in-house magic. Right after Jackpocket, they snapped up Simplebet, a leader in micro-betting. They allow wagers on specific moments within a game, like the next pitch or play. This is huge because live, in-game betting now makes up roughly half of DraftKings’ total betting volume.
They also bought AI-powered odds provider Sports IQ, which gave them the ability to set real-time prices for major leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB) without relying on third parties. Early buys such as Golden Nugget Online Gaming (GNOG) expanded their iGaming footprint. Rather, it is about controlling the tech stack, starting with customer acquisition via Jackpocket, real-time odds via Sports IQ, and hyper-specific betting markets via Simplebet.
DraftKings Network Blurs Lines Between Watching and Wagering
Content is king in entertainment, and DraftKings is building its kingdom. The DraftKings Network (DKN) is a 24/7 streaming channel available on platforms like Samsung TV Plus, Roku, Vizio, and Sling Freestream. It features personality-driven shows such as “The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz,” “GoJo Show,” and “Baseball is Dead,” plus new football programming hosted by NFL analyst Trey Wingo.
But DKN isn’t just talk. Its real innovation lies in integration. Using technology from MetaBet, DKN automatically scans show content for mentions of players, teams, or games and instantly displays live DraftKings odds with direct links to place bets without manual input. This creates a near-frictionless loop from hearing about a game or player to placing a wager. It’s a pretty clear attempt to make betting an intrinsic part of the sports viewing experience, not a separate activity.
Sportsbook Plus Hints at a Subscription Future, But It’s Early
The Netflix comparison inevitably brings up subscriptions. Netflix revolutionized entertainment with its monthly fee for unlimited content access. DraftKings is dipping its toes in with “Sportsbook Plus,” launched in January 2025. Currently, it’s only available to users physically located in New York. Priced at $20 monthly (with a first-month free promo code “TRYPLUS”), it offers subscribers unlimited “Stepped Up” Boost Tokens for parlays and same-game parlays (max wager $25, boosts up to 100% for big parlays).
While this focuses purely on betting utility (better odds) rather than content access, it signals an important shift. DraftKings is testing a premium tier, monetizing its most engaged users. The limited New York rollout screams “pilot program.” Could this evolve into a broader Netflix-style tiered model? Think a basic free tier with ads and limited features, a standard tier with core betting plus some content, and a premium tier with max boosts, exclusive DKN content, and advanced data insights.
It’s a potential path, but right now, Sportsbook Plus is a utility play for serious bettors, not a full entertainment bundle. Soup.io’s tech analysts have covered similar subscription shifts in streaming media, highlighting the challenges and opportunities.
Market Dominance Faces Regulatory Hurdles and Fierce Rivals
DraftKings’ vision unfolds in a complex arena. The US online sports betting market is booming, projected to grow from $83.65 billion globally in 2022 to over $182 billion by 2030. They own a huge portion of the overall market share, and according to Nasdaq, could see their share prices soar soon.
The regulatory landscape is a fragmented patchwork of state laws (38 states + DC have legalized sports betting, 31 allow mobile), forcing operators to build unique compliance frameworks for each jurisdiction. This complexity creates high costs but also acts as a barrier to entry, favoring established players like DraftKings with operations in 26 states.
However, regulators are increasingly vigilant, cracking down on marketing and responsible gaming failures. Potential federal oversight, like the proposed SAFE Bet Act setting minimum standards, looms. Competition is also brutal, driven by massive promotional spending to lure users.
DraftKings Builds an Ecosystem, But the Netflix Crown Isn’t Secured
So, is DraftKings the “Netflix of Betting”? Not exactly, yet. But the parallels in their strategic direction are undeniable. Correcting the record on the $750 million Jackpocket buy is fundamental. It was a mass-market audience acquisition play, not a celebrity endorsement. That audience, combined with vertical integration via acquisitions (Simplebet, Sports IQ), fuels their ability to create a unique, seamless experience.
AI-driven betting suggestions and marketing heavily mirror Netflix’s data-driven core. DKN and the MetaBet integration are big steps towards combining content consumption with wagering, reducing friction, and making betting part of the entertainment fabric. Sportsbook Plus is just getting started and is testing premium monetization. The goal is still to go beyond transactional betting to become a must-have sports entertainment destination. But there remain significant obstacles. It takes execution to scale a compelling subscription bundle beyond utility boosts.
DraftKings is building something ambitious, aiming to change how we experience sports. Whether it becomes as synonymous with digital sports entertainment as Netflix is with streaming depends on turning this complex, integrated vision into a mass-market reality.