MaximBet Signs Historic Deal With Colorado Rockies Outfielder Charlie Blackmon
I’d love to know what Pete Rose thinks about this one.
Thanks to the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) reached between the MLB and the MLBPA, active Major League players have the ability to sign partnerships with US Sports Betting Operators. Once this news broke in early March, fans of both sports betting and baseball wondered who would be the first star to sign a deal–Mike Trout? Shohei Ohtani? Aaron Judge?
No, no, and nope.
MaximBet announced on Wednesday (April 20th) that they reached the first sportsbook/MLB player deal with none other than the 4-time all-star, 12-year veteran Charlie Blackmon.
Blackmon has spent all 12 of his years in the MLB with the Colorado Rockies and is on the last year of his contract (although he does have a player option for 2023). He is a fan favorite, so while his name may not have the national pop that Mike Trout or Shohei Ohtani have, it’s still not too far out of left field.
MaximBet first launched in Colorado last September, and is currently available in these markets:
The terms of the deal have not been disclosed, but MaximBet is thrilled to have Blackmon on the team.
“Charlie is one of the most revered Rockies players of all time,” MaximBet CEO Daniel Graetzer said. “We are thrilled to welcome Charlie to the MaximBet family. We look forward to him hitting it out of the ballpark for us as we continue to grow in Colorado and across the country.”
Sportsbook-Athlete/Team Relations Across All Four Major Sports
While Blackmon was the first individual MLB player to sign a sponsorship deal with a sports betting operator, he was not the first athlete across all sports to do so. Shifting over to the ice rink, Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid was the first to ink such a deal, partnering with BetMGM last month.
This has even trickled over to the NBA, as Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder had announced his partnership with Arizona-based Gila River Resorts & Casinos just a few hours after his team’s win over the Pelicans in the playoffs.
Even staying in the baseball world, there have been deals between teams and sports betting operators as well. The Detroit Tigers became the first team to sign a sponsorship deal with a US Sportsbook when they inked a deal with PointsBet last September. The Nationals and the Diamondbacks have multi-year deals with sportsbooks near their parks, and the Mets just signed a deal with Caesars Entertainment (and the Caesars Sportsbook).
