How to Invest in Sports Leagues ... If You're Not a Billionaire
*By Bridgette Webb*
The four major sports leagues in the U.S. have the ability to bring in serious cash. And that's created opportunity for Nick Fullerton, CEO of SportsETFs, a fund dedicated to the business.
"We are trying to capture the growth of the sports leagues, which has been growing faster than the overall economy," Fullerton said Tuesday in an interview on Cheddar.
The ETF, which trades under the ticker FANZ, invests in companies that have deals with the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL.
Fullerton said the proof is in these partners, which enter into "multi-year, multi-million dollar agreements" with the leagues.
"\[We\] found that these companies who choose to spend their marketing budgets with sports leagues tend to grow faster than their competitors," he said.
The fund includes some of the most dominant names in sports sponsorship, among them Coca-Cola, Gatorade-owner Pepsi, as well others that may surprise you, like Amazon. The e-commerce giant struck a deal with the [NFL](https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/26/amazon-streaming-thursday-night-football-in-2018-2019.html) to stream Thursday Night Football games for the next two seasons.
Fullerton said the recent [Supreme Court](https://cheddar.com/videos/draftkings-ceo-were-going-all-in-on-legalized-sports-betting) decision opening the door for legal sports betting may also be a serious factor as casinos look to partner with top leagues ー in July, the NBA announced that it had tapped [MGM](http://www.nba.com/article/2018/07/31/mgm-resorts-international-becomes-official-gaming-partner-nba-official-release) to be its official gaming partner.
It's a union that Fullerton said will be a boon for many partners of major league sports.
"The casual fan is probably going to be more apt to stay engaged with their screen and device to see when they make a casual bet," he said. "We feel that more partnerships will come into play."
For full interview [click here](https://cms.cheddar.com/videos/VmlkZW8tMjI4MjI=).
After a nearly 30-year saga, the New York Islanders have officially found a new home. The NHL team kicked off their very first game at the state of the art UBS arena earlier this month, bringing fans together in Belmont Park, NY.
The over $1 billion dollar project comes as the city attempts to return to normalcy. Tom Naratil, President of the Americas at UBS and Jon Ledecky Co-Owner of the New York Islanders joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the new beginning.
Jill and Carlo cover the latest developments with the Omicron variant that are spooking markets once again. Twitter's @Jack is leaving, SCOTUS takes up abortion rights and the world has a brand new republic.
Jamil Jaffer, Founder and Executive Director of the National Security Institute, joined Cheddar to discuss the concern surrounding Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai's disappearance following a social media post accusing a former high-ranking Chinese official of sexual assault.
Carlo and Baker cover the latest developments with the Omicron variant, and break down what we know and what we still don't. Plus, a relatively tame Black Friday, and more.
Dan Kilbridge, Bookies.com sports betting expert, and Cam Rogers, Host of 'Lock It In with Cam Rogers' and betting analyst at Bleav, tackle top matchups across the NFL and college football this coming weekend.
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BetMGM host Olivia Harlan Dekker joins Cheddar Bets to break down the Thanksgiving Day football games and present her Weekend Portfolio of picks.
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Olivia Harlan Dekker gives her top plays for Thursday's Thanksgiving NFL games while Dan Kilbridge and Cam Rogers tackle top matchups across the NFL and college football this coming weekend.
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The New Jersey Devils are debuting its newest jersey option, only the third uniform in the NHL team's history. Jillian Frechette, SVP of marketing for the Devils, joined Cheddar to talk about the inspiration behind the new-look hockey sweater, the contributions to the design by Hall of Fame goaltender Martin Brodeur, and what it means for the Garden State, home to the franchise since the team moved from Colorado in 1982. The jersey launched in stores on Tuesday and players will begin wearing them beginning December 8 as the Devils approach the 40th anniversary in New Jersey.
