Rob Gronkowski to Kick for $10 million at FanDuel During the Super Bowl

Retired tight end Rob Gronkowski will kick a field goal for $10 million live in FanDuel’s first ad during the upcoming Super Bowl. 

The fun-loving “Gronk” hung his cleats up after he and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were bounced in the second round of the NFC playoffs. Now, he is back to try his hand as a kicker. If he converts from 25 yards, he will win FanDuel bettors $10 million in free bets, and if he misses, well, let’s hope he practiced his smile.

All FanDuel customers who bet on the Super Bowl will be enrolled in the opportunity to win a cut of the $10 million prize. Their fate will be determined at some point in the third quarter.

Gronk is a four-time Super Bowl champion in his own right. Even though he is no longer gracing television screens every Sunday, he is just as full of energy as ever.

“Everyone knows that I love throwing myself into fun, love trying out new ideas,” Gronkowski told the Associated Press. “Obviously, I can catch a football. ... Why not try to kick a field goal?”

The ad and ensuing (potential) giveaway are part of Fanduel’s strategy to resume control of the entertainment industry. Company projects have been dropping recently as investors demand returns, following massive losses tied to recruiting brand ambassadors and new players with promotional opportunities.

According to Google Finance, Flutter Entertainment Plc., the parent company of FanDuel, is down 1.70% year-to-year on the stock market despite increased post-pandemic spending from the masses. Several states have also legalized and launched legal sports betting markets during that time, making the regression even more alarming. 

Losses have continued to pile up for many sportsbooks too. In August, DraftKings announced its plan to reduce spending on ads after a year of heavy spending. That did not account for the near-half-of-a-million dollars it helped contribute to pro-sports betting campaigns in California leading up to the November ballots. 

Despite the hesitance to splash the cash on advertisements, FanDuel is taking the plunge—and Gronkowski is feeling confident.

“I was punt, pass and kick champion in the western New York region when I was growing up, as well,” said Gronkowski. “So I love kicking field goals. I used to practice all the time.”

Part of the build-up to Gronk’s 10-million-dollar kick will feature snippets of him training with the NFL’s all-time field goal and points leader, Adam Vinatieri. FanDuel will air clips from their sessions during the preceding playoff rounds to drum up interest.

“I’m not at the top of my game right now, but I actually have two training sessions coming up this week,” said Gronkowski. “I believe if you put your mind to anything, you can do anything. And I don’t want to disappoint America... I’m going to have to train, but I feel like I’m going to be able to pull it off.”

FanDuel has committed to its big-money ad this year because of the extra states that now provide sports betting services. Ohio became the latest state to join the fold (and add to FanDuel’s list of 20 operational states) after  Pete Rose placed an inaugural bet  at 12:01 a.m. on New Year’s Day.

The new style of advertisement, which incentivizes prospective customers to get involved more than any other, is also a reason FanDuel is moving ahead with its plan. 

“When we got presented with the idea to do a live spot with something on the line for everyone in the market, we jumped at it,” said Andrew Sneyd, FanDuel’s executive vice president of marketing.

Gronkowski once kicked a 33-yard field goal in a high school football game. Although he went on to haul in 621 passes for 9,286 yards and 92 touchdowns in nine years with the New England Patriots and two with the Bucs, he never attempted a kick.

The Super Bowl has drawn over 100 million television and streaming viewers every year but one since 2010. As a result, commercial time slots are very expensive and lucrative. Fox Corp., the host of this year’s big game, sold 30-second time slots for a record of over $7 million.