Paramount+ Powerhouse Jumps Ship to Supercharge FanDuel's Brand Domination

FanDuel Secures Paramount+ Veteran for Marketing Overhaul

The relentless battle for supremacy in the US sports betting market just took a fascinating strategic turn. As reported by @Adweek on Feb 13, 2026 · 6:29 PM UTC, FanDuel has aggressively poached a significant marketing heavyweight from the streaming wars. Ari Avishay, a proven executive known for shaping the direct-to-consumer narrative at Paramount+, has officially joined FanDuel as its new Senior Vice President of Marketing. This move signals a clear intent from FanDuel to escalate its brand equity far beyond simple odds posting and gamification. Avishay’s tenure at Paramount+ involved steering the ship through the crowded subscription landscape, a skillset deemed invaluable as the betting industry matures from a novelty into mainstream entertainment.

His departure from the media giant underscores the increasingly blurred lines between premium content delivery and high-engagement wagering platforms. For FanDuel, landing an executive who understands the nuances of subscription fatigue, content integration, and building long-term consumer loyalty is not merely a hiring—it is a foundational shift in their approach to market dominance.

This high-profile recruitment is the latest indication that FanDuel views marketing not just as customer acquisition, but as a sustained investment in creating a sticky, must-have ecosystem. Can a streaming mindset translate directly into loyalty within the highly transactional world of daily fantasy sports and sports wagering? The industry will be watching closely to see if Avishay can replicate the scale and emotional resonance he helped forge for ViacomCBS’s streaming ambitions.

Strategic Mandate: Driving Brand and Consumer Strategy

Avishay’s new role places him squarely at the nexus of FanDuel’s most critical consumer-facing functions. His core responsibilities are clearly defined, encompassing the entire lifecycle of the user experience from initial awareness to sustained patronage. Specifically, he will be charged with overseeing the brand architecture, the overarching creative output, and the deep consumer insights that inform product development and communication strategy.

This mandate is comprehensive, giving Avishay influence across the entire FanDuel portfolio, which is expanding rapidly beyond its bread-and-butter Sportsbook. This breadth of control ensures that whether a customer is placing a wager, consuming content on FanDuel TV, or engaging with ancillary products, the messaging and perceived brand value remain cohesive and powerful.

The Unified Voice in a Fragmented Ecosystem

The significance here lies in unifying the voice. FanDuel operates in several distinct, yet interconnected, verticals. Bringing brand, creative, and insights under one senior leader suggests a pivot away from siloed campaign execution towards a single, resonant brand narrative. This unified front is essential in a market where competitors are constantly trying to pick apart the user experience across different channels.

Portfolio Integration: Sportsbook, Media, and Beyond

While FanDuel maintains several successful operations, the FanDuel Sportsbook will undoubtedly be the primary arena for Avishay’s immediate strategic impact. The challenge here is not just attracting new bettors but convincing existing users to elevate their engagement and decrease churn, particularly during slower sports seasons.

Furthermore, his responsibilities extend directly into developing the content and strategy for FanDuel TV. As betting media becomes a crucial retention tool—offering expert analysis, proprietary shows, and in-game commentary—Avishay’s media background will be leveraged to make FanDuel TV a destination in its own right, rather than just a supportive adjunct to the wagering platform.

How will Avishay adapt Paramount+'s content monetization strategies—which rely on long-term subscriber retention—to the more immediate, event-driven nature of sports betting? The implication is a concerted effort to treat content as both a marketing tool and a powerful engine for in-play engagement, tying viewership directly back to wagering decisions.

Industry Shakeup: Betting Meets Streaming Powerhouse Talent

Why look to the world of SVOD (Subscription Video On Demand) when hiring for a sports betting giant? FanDuel's decision to target an executive steeped in scaling direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands, particularly one that navigated the saturated streaming wars, speaks volumes about their long-term vision. The D2C playbook—mastering personalization, managing subscription fatigue, and prioritizing customer experience above all else—is directly applicable to the modern gambling landscape.

Avishay’s background suggests anticipated strategic shifts centered on deep personalization and experiential marketing. We are likely to see a move away from broad, transactional advertising buys towards building deep emotional rapport, mirroring how streaming services foster attachment to specific shows or user profiles. This transition seeks to inoculate the FanDuel brand against the inevitable price wars that plague the industry.

Market Implications and Future Outlook

This appointment immediately repositions FanDuel in the ongoing, high-stakes rivalry within the US sports betting landscape, particularly against major competitors like DraftKings. While competitors often rely on massive promotional spend to drive short-term acquisitions, FanDuel appears to be investing in brand durability. A superior brand story and better consumer insights can translate into lower effective customer acquisition costs (CAC) over time and significantly higher long-term retention rates.

The projected impact on customer acquisition and brand loyalty hinges on Avishay’s ability to translate complex user data into compelling, simple narratives that resonate across demographics. In an environment where regulatory scrutiny and market saturation threaten growth ceilings, this focus on superior brand equity is a forward-thinking hedge. The announcement on Feb 13, 2026, solidifies a period where operational excellence must now be matched by marketing superiority. FanDuel is signaling it intends to win the war of perception, not just the battle of the odds board.

Source: https://x.com/Adweek/status/2022377603441512692