Federal Trade Commission threatened to block it over concerns that the combined company would have a monopoly on paid DFS. Legalization of sports betting in the United States In May 2018, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992—which outlawed state legalization of sports betting in most U.S. states (excluding grandfathered states such as Nevada)—was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association. The following month, Delaware became the first state to create new legislation to allow sports betting, followed shortly by New Jersey. Analysts predicted that the duopoly of DraftKings and FanDuel would make moves to capitalize on the decision, including leveraging their regulatory expertise and influence to lobby for state legalization of sports betting, and incorporating betting features into their platforms to take advantage of their existing market positions and brand recognition. Later that month, FanDuel announced that it would be acquired by Paddy Power Betfair, to bolster the Irish bookmaker's U.S. operations. Both DraftKings and FanDuel launched sports betting operations in New Jersey in August 2018. Marketing The aggressive marketing tactics used by daily fantasy services have also affected the growth of the industry. In June 2015, DraftKings entered into a three-year sponsorship deal with ESPN valued at $250 million; the deal gave DraftKings exclusivity in advertising daily fantasy services on ESPN networks beginning in January 2016, and included "integration" of the service into ESPN's television and digital content. DraftKings also entered into an advertising deal with Fox Sports; in exchange for Fox acquiring a $150 million equity stake in the company, DraftKings agreed to buy $250 million in advertising over the next three years. DraftKings' sponsorship exclusivity deal with ESPN was also to include the acquisition of an equity stake in the company, but this aspect of the deal was reportedly called off due to objections by ESPN's parent, The Walt Disney Company, over financially associating itself with activities that could be classified as gambling. DraftKings and FanDuel also became known for their use of direct response advertising on television, especially during sports telecasts. Capitalizing on the start of football season, iSpot.tv estimated that DraftKings and FanDuel collectively spent over $107 million on television advertising in September 2015 alone—with nearly half being spent on advertising during National Football League telecasts ($23.6 million by DraftKings, and $26.7 million spent by FanDuel). Of the total, $60.1 million was spent by DraftKings, with