Yahoo Sports Signs First of its Kind Tourney NIL Deals with Top College Basketball Star Paolo Banchero of Duke

Banchero and Chet Holmgren of Gonzaga to Help Build Excitement for Yahoo Sports Tourney Pick’em Bracket Game

NEW YORK (March 3, 2022) - Yahoo Sports today announced that it has signed one of college basketball’s brightest stars to a NIL deal in support of its Yahoo Sports Tourney Pick’em bracket game, marking the first time a NIL deal has been inked with a college athlete in support of bracket gaming.

Paolo Banchero, freshman at Duke University (who is projected to be among the top picks in the upcoming NBA Draft), will serve as co-ambassador of the activation, including social and digital content amplification across his personal social media channels (@paolo5), Yahoo Sports digital channels, marketing assets and more. The deal extends through the month of March.

Chet Holmgren of Gonzaga will serve as co-ambassador of the activation.

“This is a great opportunity to connect with fans and experience the hype, drama and adrenaline of college basketball in March. Growing up, I filled out my bracket on Yahoo and it’s incredibly exciting to have the opportunity to team up with them and help encourage fans  to sign up now so they can be part of the excitement,” Banchero said.

“I’ve always loved tournament time because it brings some of the most exciting moments in sports,” Holmgren said. “I’m really looking forward to teaming up with Yahoo Sports and showing how fans can get in on the action through Yahoo Sports Tourney Pick’em.”

Yahoo Sports Tourney Pick’em is free to play. Fans can set up a group to play with friends and colleagues, and enter their best bracket for a chance to win a grand prize including $25,000 in cash and an MGM Resort vacation package in Las Vegas (valued at $10,000). Registration is open now on all platforms, including the Yahoo Fantasy app. Fans can sign up and join groups now and can fill out their brackets starting on Sunday, March 13.

“The tournament is an iconic event that brings together both passionate and casual sports fans across the country,” said Joanna Lambert, President & GM of Consumer at Yahoo. “At Yahoo Sports, we are excited to continue to offer unique opportunities to fully immerse consumers into Yahoo’s 360 sports experience and fans have multiple ways to engage this March.” 

​​Yahoo Sports collaborated with longtime creative and strategic partner Troika, a sports and entertainment consultancy and creative studio, to develop and execute this innovative NIL deal.

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About Yahoo Sports

Yahoo Sports is the mobile home for sports fans, offering an award-winning fantasy platform, comprehensive news, original series, scores, standings and more. With real-time, personalized content and immersive mobile experiences, Yahoo Sports is innovating for the next generation of sports fans. Download the Yahoo Sports app on iOS and Google Play and download the Yahoo Fantasy app on iOS and Google Play to sign-up and play with Yahoo Fantasy Sports.