DraftKings tops sportsbook uptime rankings for NFL season

DraftKings recorded the highest betting market uptime of any major operator during the second half of the NFL season, according to research published by Bettormetrics, an AI-driven sports betting data analytics firm, with support from data partner OpticOdds.

The study found DraftKings customers were able to place bets for more than 89% of live game time, over five percentage points ahead of its nearest rival. That figure rose further during the Playoffs, with markets available for 94.2% of postseason action, some 15% higher than competitors ESPN Bet and Hard Rock.

Wide gap between operators

Across nine leading US sportsbooks, average uptime stood at just over 81%. ESPN Bet, owned by Penn Entertainment, recorded the lowest average at just over 75%, meaning bettors were frequently unable to wager on markets. The operator also posted the worst single-week performance of the season, with uptime falling to around two-thirds during week 10, more than 20 percentage points below DraftKings. ESPN Bet’s uptime improved in later weeks, however, climbing to close to 80%.

Uptime improved across the board once the Playoffs began, averaging 85% league-wide, with both DraftKings and Caesars exceeding 90% in the opening two rounds.

Super Bowl performance

During the Super Bowl, in which the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, DraftKings posted a season-high uptime of 97.6%. Fanatics recorded the lowest figure at 82.7%, a decline on its earlier playoff performance and overtaking ESPN Bet at the bottom of the table. Every operator except Fanatics saw uptime increase by the end of the season.

Industry reaction

Sabin Brooks, Chief Revenue Officer at Bettormetrics, said DraftKings’ investment in pricing capability had helped it minimise market suspensions, while ESPN Bet was “still trying to find its feet” with sub-80% uptime in a fast-moving sport. He added that factors such as bet acceptance times also shape overall trading strategy, but that uptime remains a key differentiator between major US platforms.

Robert Urwin, CEO and co-founder of Bettormetrics, noted that ESPN Bet had improved uptime by more than 10% over the season despite remaining among the lowest performers. He also pointed to a gap of more than six percentage points between DraftKings and fellow market leader FanDuel, suggesting the latter could be losing revenue through prolonged suspensions, placing it closer to the performance of BetMGM, bet365 and Fanatics than to its main rival.

Bettormetrics said its platform tracks thousands of live in-play betting events weekly to help sportsbooks and data providers identify trading inefficiencies.