FanDuel has expanded its roster of sports partners in Canada as Toronto’s WNBA franchise, the Toronto Tempo, has signed up the leading operator as its first official online sports betting and casino partner.
Via a new multi-year agreement unveiled on Tuesday, FanDuel and Canada’s first WNBA team will bring exclusive fan initiatives to FanDuel’s customers in Ontario. The operator will also benefit from in-arena visibility, digital activations, and shared branding and marketing.
“Partnering with the Toronto Tempo in their inaugural season is an exciting opportunity for FanDuel customers and basketball fans,” said FanDuel Vice President of Marketing Tom Burdakin. “As a company that shares the same passion for community and empowering women’s sports, we are proud to support a new franchise that will celebrate fans and elevate women’s professional sports in Canada.”
Tempo prepares to set pace at tip-off
The Toronto Tempo will tip off its inaugural season on the WNBA’s 2026 opening day on May 8 as the league’s first team outside of the U.S. The team will play its home games at Toronto’s Coca-Cola Coliseum, although it will go on tour to play two regular-season games each at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena and Montréal’s Bell Centre.
First announced as an expansion franchise in May 2024, the Tempo’s ownership includes:
- Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) Chairman Emeritus and NBA Board of Governors Chairman Larry Tanenbaum
- Tennis iconSerena Williams
- Ex-Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri
- Canadian YouTuber and TV host Lilly Singh
FanDuel said in a press release that the agreement brings together two brands that are committed to expanding women’s sports in Canada. Toronto Tempo Chief Revenue Officer Lisa Ferkul said that partnering with FanDuel will be “transformative” for the team.
“Welcoming FanDuel marks a significant milestone for our organization as we continue to build Canada’s first WNBA team and deepen fan engagement,” she added.
FanDuel goes big on Canadian and women’s sports
The Toronto Tempo adds to a lengthening list of Canadian sports team, league, and broadcast partners for FanDuel. The operator is already officially affiliated with the likes of:
- Major sports leagues in Canada, including the NBA, the NFL, the NHL, MLB, and the CFL
- MLSE and its team: the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL), Raptors (NBA), Toronto FC (MLS), and Toronto Argonauts (CFL)
- Canadian sports broadcasting network TSN
This week, FanDuel was also named the first official betting partner of Formula 1 in North America.
FanDuel has also looked to establish prime positioning in women’s sports.
It has been an official partner of the WNBA since 2022 and in late 2024, it came on board as one of the first official sportsbook partners of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) across North America. That deal also established the operator as the exclusive in-app streaming partner of the then-new league in the U.S. The PWHL launched on Jan. 1, 2024, with three Canadian teams: Toronto, Montréal, and Ottawa.
Per FanDuel parent company Flutter, the WNBA bet count at FanDuel rose 273% in 2024 compared to the 2023 season, thanks in no small part to stars like Caitlyn Clark and Angel Reese.
FanDuel CEO Amy Howe said at a recent Semafor conference that the WNBA-led boom in women’s sports offers large untapped growth potential for the operator. “There’s a lot of innovation and experimentation that we’re doing right now that I think is gonna make that product much more accessible for women. We view it as an exciting growth opportunity for us.”
