
FanDuel is bringing back its popular $10 million Kick of Destiny Super Bowl promotion, but with no Gronk this time around. This year’s event will feature new star power in the form of Peyton and Eli Manning. The most famous brothers in NFL history will see if they can kick as well as they passed in a 25-yard field goal competition.
FanDuel users can now log into their account and place their free pick on which brother will win, with correct guesses earning a share of $10 million in bonus bets. That’s a change from the first two installments of the promo, in which all participants received a prize regardless of whether Rob Gronkowski made his kick or not.
The live kicking competition will take place during the Fox Super Bowl Pregame Show, during the 3 p.m. ET hour. In addition, FanDuel will air two 30-second spots during the game, similar to last year. They will recap the action and celebrate the fans who picked the winner.
The Mannings take over for Gronk
This year will mark the third installment of the Kick of Destiny Super Bowl promo. The first two featured former NFL player Rob Gronkowski, commonly known as “Gronk.” However, according to FanDuel, replacing him with the Mannings raises the stakes. In a press release, Andrew Sneyd, FanDuel’s Executive Vice President of Marketing, said:
With the Kick of Destiny, we set out to make FanDuel a part of Super Bowl Sunday. For year three, we’re raising the stakes by introducing a rivalry and a head-to-head Kick of Destiny competition. Peyton & Eli Manning will make history by competing against each other live for the first time in Super Bowl history. May the best Manning win!
The two brothers are approaching the competition with different mindsets. Eli Manning expressed confidence in his chances, inviting fans to join him in celebration. On the other hand, Peyton Manning acknowledged their competitiveness and shared his determination to study film and train hard to win.
How the competition works
The competition is straightforward:
- Each kicker will attempt a 25-yard kick.
- If the first Manning makes the field goal, the second is given a chance to tie.
- If the first one misses, the second can win if he makes it.
- If both miss, they will kick again until there’s a winner.
- If no one makes it after three rounds, the Manning, who kicked the ball closest to the center target on the net, wins the tiebreaker.
FanDuel users who want to participate can do so between now and 3 p.m. on February 9 (the start of the competition.) They must log into their account and click on the “Kick of Destiny 3” banner in the lobby or the promotions page. Then, they must answer the question of which brother will win. If their pick is correct, users will win a share of the $10 million prize pool. The amount will vary on the number of winning entries. There’s no purchase necessary to participate in the promotion.
Could the Mannings feature in more FanDuel promos?
The Kick of Destiny promotion could mark the beginning of a long-term partnership between FanDuel and the Manning brothers, similar to the operator’s relationship with Rob Gronkowski. While Gronk is no longer the face of Kick of Destiny, the Super Bowl promotion was the beginning of his partnership with FanDuel.
Last year, he participated in two promotional events. In May, he joined a FanDuel live dealer roulette table in New Jersey. Gronkowski answered questions and engaged with players in real time via chat. Later in September, also in New Jersey, he joined a FanDuel Infinity Blackjack live dealer table. In addition to engaging with the dealer and participants, he gave away prizes such as signed footballs and FanDuel casino bonuses.
Gronk’s partnership with FanDuel also extends to the operator’s FanDuel Faceoff app. The app, featuring 12 games, allows users to play against each other for money. One of them is Gronk Spike Cornhole, where users can play cornhole against a computerized version of Gronkowski.