• by Tanya Gazdik , 3 hours ago

Sports betting platform Fanatics Sportsbook will make its Super Bowl debut with a spot starring Kendall Jenner.

The 30-second spot features Jenner joking about the long-running "Kardashian curse." 

“In the spot, Jenner openly references the viral theory that athletes linked to the Kardashian-Jenner family see a decline in performance,” according to Marketing Mentor. “Instead of distancing herself from the narrative, she uses humor and self-awareness to flip the joke, turning a pop-culture meme into the core of the campaign. The ad plays on familiarity, relatability, and cultural awareness, showing how modern Super Bowl commercials are increasingly built around owning the conversation rather than avoiding it.”

One scene in the spot shows Jenner striking a match and tossing it into a pile of jerseys from various NBA teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Clippers.

“Kendall’s famous boyfriends – Blake Griffin, Ben Simmons, Devin Booker, and more -- have all played for one or more of the teams seen in the pile,” according to The Sun. “The ad was well-received by fans, who flooded the comments with praise for the star’s shade.”

Consumers can bet with or against Jenner through the Fanatics Sportsbook app beginning Jan. 29 following the reveal that she is betting on the New England Patriots to win the Super Bowl on Feb. 8.

“There was a time not too long ago when the idea of advertising about sports betting was unthinkable, but in 2026, it has become part of the game as consumer interest in the activity grows,” according to Marketing Dive. “Wagering has also expanded into everyday life and popular culture with the rise of prediction market apps, like Kalshi and Polymarket, that allow for betting on real-world events like political races and movie box office reports.”

Accordingly, Fanatics Sportsbook is blending sports betting with ongoing pop-culture hype around the Kardashians.

“The issues with predictive markets and sports betting are known and well-documented,” according to Chris Danton’s Good Thinking substack.  “Putting that aside for a sec, this spot for Fanatics is hysterical. It’s an unexpected face in this category. It’s funny. And it has a solid call to action. Whatever you think about sports betting, this is solid.”

The campaign is the first production from the recently launched Fanatics Studios, the joint venture between Fanatics and OBB Media. Bolded, OBB’s branded entertainment division, served as the creative studio. 

The best line of the spot comes at the end, according to E! News. 

“In the most pointed nod to the theory, she finishes off the commercial adding, ‘Kardashian Curse…it’s not even my last name.’”