Count your blessings, college hoops fans. As of Tuesday, the NCAA has barred daily fantasy sports giants DraftKings and FanDuel from advertising during the 2016 March Madness tournament. (YES, YES, YES!)
In the latest twist in the debate over daily fantasy sports’ legality, the NCAA penned a letter to officials from the two sites, pointing to its bylaw that prohibits “‘advertising from sports wagering entities’ during championship events” as its justification for banning these commercials from its broadcasts, according to ESPN.
First reported by The New York Times Tuesday night, the NCAA went so far as to cancel a meeting between the organization, DraftKings and FanDuel that was supposed to “iron out differences” between the groups, reiterating its party line that the NCAA and its athletes do not condone any form of gambling.
“The integrity of our collegiate contests are paramount,” the letter reads. “We believe that your product should not be offered in the college space for a variety of reasons … Since your games meet the definition of sports wagering within our bylaws, the NCAA will not allow advertising of your products in connection with NCAA championships, including television broadcasts."
And thank goodness for that. Imagine having to endure wave after wave of DraftKings and FanDuel commercials during the watch-a-thon that is March Madness -- it'd be a never ending onslaught of promo codes like "MADNESS," "BUSTED" and "BRACKET."
Rejoice, March Madness fans, rejoice.
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