FanDuel to kick off NFL season with virtual watch party

(PRESS RELEASE) -- Coinciding with the start of the NFL Season, FanDuel will host a virtual celebrity watch party this Thursday, 10 September, from 8 pm ET through the conclusion of Thursday Night Football, to help benefit COVID-19 relief efforts. FanDuel has partnered with Feeding America and the CDC Foundation to deliver fans a unique and free viewing experience that will be broadcast over YouTube, Twitter, Twitch, Facebook, and FanDuel.

“As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact communities around the world, we wanted to do something unique to help give back to our communities, as well as give back to sports fans,” said Mike Raffensperger, CMO of FanDuel Group. “We recognize that this will not be your typical NFL kickoff with limited fans in the stands and few sports bars open. So we’re giving football fans a unique and interactive Thursday Night Football experience while supporting families impacted by COVID-19 and frontline workers.”

In the spirit of NFL Kickoff, the livestream event will have a competitive element to it. Hosted by sportscaster Lisa Kerney, eight celebrities in total, including Joel McHale, Anthony Anderson, Taye Diggs, Michael Rapaport, Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens, Brad Paisley, and Victor Cruz, will split into two teams competing on behalf of Feeding America and the CDC Foundation. Each team will participate in a variety of challenges to earn support for their respective charity.

Head-to-head celebrity challenges will include game predictions, sports trivia, and a trash talk battle decided by fans. Team challenges will feature a Thursday Night Football daily fantasy contest on FanDuel. The team with the winning player will earn 60% of the donation pot for their charity, and the remaining 40% will go to the losing team’s charity. FanDuel will add $5,000 to the donation pot for every touchdown scored and each turnover created during Thursday night’s game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans. Additionally, fans will have the opportunity to make their own donations to grow the total pot.

Fans will also be able to participate in live chats, Q&A’s with celebrity attendees, trivia questions alongside each other and celebs, polling, raffles, and various contests. Thursday Night Football features defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs versus the Houston Texans.