Sports Betting

DraftKings Awards $30M Marketing Deal to Co-Founder Matt Kalish’s New Firm

Posted on: August 27, 2026, 02:58h.

Last updated on: August 28, 2026, 05:11h.

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Todd Shriber Todd Shriber is a senior news reporter covering gaming financials, casino business, stocks, and mergers and acquisitions for Casino.org. Todd got his start in financial markets as a reporter with Bloomberg News...
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Key Points

DraftKings has agreed to direct up to $30 million in marketing spending to HardScope, a media firm launched by co-founder Matt Kalish
Kalish officially stepped down as DraftKings president in March, though he retains his seat on the board of directors
The multi-year deal expands on an initial $600,000 agreement struck between DraftKings subsidiaries and HardScope in June 2025

DraftKings has agreed to direct up to $30 million in marketing spending to a media startup launched by former president and co-founder Matt Kalish.

DraftKings hack, account takeover, online betting security, payment method fraud, cybersecurity breach, Kamerin Stokes, Jospeh Garrison, Nathan Austad, fraud for fun network — A DraftKings SEC filings reveals the company has a marketing deal with a firm started by former president and co-founder Matthew Kalish. (Image: DraftKings/Shutterstock)

A filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) by the gaming company details arrangements with Kalish’s company — FaZe Media, which does business as HardScope.

In simple terms, HardScope could broker deals between DraftKings, podcast hosts and other digital content creators through which those personalities promote the gaming company. In the process, Kalish’s new firm could earn commissions for its work.

“The HardScope Agreement provides that the aggregate amount of service fees payable by the Company under the HardScope Agreement may not exceed $30.0 million during the three-year term of the HardScope Agreement, and that HardScope’s commission may not exceed 14% of the related service fee,” according to the regulatory document.

DraftKings co-founder Matt Kalish stepped down as president in March, months after his departure was announced last November, though he retains a seat on the board.

Dealings with Kalish’s Company Started Before His Departure

DraftKings working with a company started by one of its former employees isn’t unusual.

In Corporate America, it’s common for corporations to work with agencies, consultancies and vendors started by ex-staffers so it’s not necessarily a conflict of interest for the sportsbook operator to be working with Kalish’s HardScope.

Some critics may assert that the deal raises corporate governance issues on the basis that arrangements between DraftKings and HardScope were made prior to the former announcing Kalish’s departure from the gaming company.

The SEC filing indicates that on June 13, 2025, “certain subsidiaries” of DraftKings entered into an agreement with HardScope, through which DraftKings landed personal services and name, image and likeness rights of “certain individuals” for promotional use.

“Under the Marketing Arrangement, the Company agreed to pay HardScope fees based on the specific services, rights and deliverables purchased, with the aggregate amount payable to HardScope not to exceed $600,000,” according to the filing. “During fiscal year 2025, the Company incurred $150,000 under the Marketing Arrangement.”

In the filing, DraftKings notes its audit committee approved the transactions with Kalish’s company.

Practicality in DraftKings/HardScope Deal

While the arrangement may draw corporate governance scrutiny, the deal offers clear strategic value for DraftKings. HardScope specializes in connecting brands with Gen Z, an increasingly critical demographic for online sportsbook operators.

“We turn creators into next gen media moguls. We unlock Gen Z for brands. We turn moments into movements,” said Kalish on his LinkedIn page.

Todd Shriber is a senior news reporter covering gaming financials, casino business, stocks, and mergers and acquisitions for Casino.org.

Todd got his start in financial markets as a reporter with Bloomberg News. Later, he became a trader at a Southern California-based long/short hedge fund, where he specialized in the trading sector and international ETFs leading up to and during the financial crisis. He joined Casino.org in 2019.

Currently, Todd analyzes, researches, and writes on ETFs for various web-based publications and financial services firms. Shriber has been featured and quoted in Barron's, CNBC.com, and The Wall Street Journal. His work can also be found on Benzinga, ETF Daily News, ETF Trends, MarketWatch, Fox Business, and Nasdaq.com.

He currently resides in Las Vegas, where he enjoys golf and taking his black lab to the dog park. He's also an avid sports fan and likes to wager on college football and the NBA. You can also find him at the three-card poker and roulette table, even though he knows better.

Contact Todd at todd.shriber@casino.org.