With a new deal involving Washington Capitals jerseys, the NHL team and Caesars VA have expanded their relationship.
Caesars Entertainment and Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), which owns the Caps, made history earlier this year. In May a Caesars Sportsbook opened at MSE’s Capital One Arena.
With the debut, it became the first sportsbook to open within a U.S. professional sports facility.
Now, the team is the first to announce a multi-year deal as part of the NHL’s Jersey Advertising Program.
Caesars and Washington Capitals jerseys
The NHL Jersey Advertising Program kicks off next year with the 2022-23 NHL season. However, as with most team-sportsbook partnerships, NHL franchises are scurrying to lock up their piece of the pie.
This time, the Capitals scored first.
So, what does the deal mean for the team, which kicks off the 2021-2022 hockey season on Oct. 13?
As part of the Caesars-Capitals alliance, the Caesars Sportsbook logo will appear on Capitals home and third (alternate) jerseys worn for games that the team plays at Capital One Arena. Each jersey will have a 3- x 3.5-inch patch positioned on the upper right chest.
The Jersey Advertising Program allows each NHL club to have up to two jersey sponsors, so long as separate sponsors appear on home and away jerseys. According to the announcement, the Caps will announce an away jersey sponsor at a later date.
The NHL board of governors only recently voted in favor of the Jersey Advertising Program. However, the move seemed inevitable after the NHL began allowing for sponsor logos on players’ helmets last season. NHL teams reportedly added an extra $100 million in revenue with the program.
Although jersey ads are far more common internationally, they’re still a rather nascent market within US sports leagues.
Caesars and Capitals all-in on sports betting
Caesars Sportsbook at Capital One Arena opened in May as part of a 10-year lease. The two-story, 18,000-square-foot venue has earned rave reviews.
The facility features 17 betting windows and 12 self-service betting kiosks. Bettors can also use the Caesars app. It’s similar to one the one Virginia sports betting enthusiasts use within the commonwealth borders, including the implementation of Caesars Rewards. However, in DC, it’s operational only in the arena and in the few blocks around it due to local sports-betting laws.
Still, Caesars clearly sees value in the DC market and specifically the Capitals. As part of the latest deal, they’ve expanded their partnership with additional casino, gaming, and Caesars Rewards programming elements. Caesars will also get dedicated hospitality space and VIP seating at Capital One Arena.
As Co-President of Caesars Digital Chris Holdren stated:
“Being woven into the Washington Capitals jersey is an exciting chapter in our collective story. Like Monumental Sports & Entertainment, we love blazing trails, and we are always looking for innovative opportunities that drive engagement and storytelling for fans. We are proud to extend our historic partnership with such a storied franchise after launching the sportsbook at Capital One Arena.”
