Expedia : DraftKings And Hotwire Collaborate On New Mystery Lineup Baseball Game

Travel Site's Opaque Deals Inspire Stats-Driven Game that Offers New Way to Experience Thrill of the Draft

BOSTONand SAN FRANCISCO, July 12, 2019/PRNewswire / -- DraftKings Inc. and Hotwire® today announced a new, free game called 'The Hotwire® Effect Series' that enables users to draft players based on stats alone, echoing the rising prevalence of data-driven analytics within Major League Baseball. Built exclusively for online travel site Hotwire, known for their mystery travel deals, DraftKings has created a custom game inspired by the Hotwire booking process where travelers use filters and data to select their Hot Rate® hotel and car rental of choice. Players of the 'The Hotwire Effect Series' will be able to see all the typical fantasy stats for any player, with the exception of the player's name, making it a fun and exciting way to draft their lineups and test their strategic approach. Once each contest begins, users will have their players' names revealed to them, similar to how the Hotwire app works when booking a hotel, also known as the 'Hotwire Effect.'

'Statistics have always been the driving force behind DraftKings' Daily Fantasy Sports products and resonate tremendously with baseball fans on our platform,' said Ezra Kucharz, chief business officer at DraftKings. 'Conceptualizing our latest free game 'The Hotwire Effect Series' with a company like Hotwire is a great opportunity that gives our customers a new way to engage in a unique experience we are sure will be a hit.'

How to play 'The Hotwire Effect Series*':

• Baseball fans have the opportunity to prove they know what it takes to build a winning team with no bias, just data.
• Using only stats, fans make picks without prior knowledge of the player's name, team or image until after their lineup is locked in.
• Once the games start and contest begins, names are revealed, and users can see who they actually drafted, similar to how the Hotwire app works when booking a hotel.
• Contest dates are July 12, July 19, July 26, and August 2.

Prizing:

• The Hotwire Effect Series has $20Kin total guaranteed prizing ($5Kper contest)
• Similar to classic DraftKings DFS, top finishers will win based on which users have the highest score each contest.

'We're known for offering travelers that thrilling moment when their hotel is revealed after booking one of our opaque Hot Rate® deals,' said Melissa Postier, director of brand marketing, Hotwire. 'We wanted to find more ways to bring that experience to life for people, and we're excited to collaborate with DraftKings on a unique twist to their highly popular games that lets users focus on data alone to win!'

Launching today and running four contests over the course of four weeks, the 'Hotwire Effect Series' offers users the opportunity to take a swing at $5,000in total prizes per contest. To learn more and sign-up for 'The Hotwire Effect Series,' please visit: https://games.draftkingsmedia.com/hotwire-effect-fantasy-baseball-series/.

About Hotwire
Hotwire is a leading discount travel site. Launched in 2000, Hotwire, Inc. was one of the first online travel sites to work with suppliers directly to book unsold inventory. By simply hiding the brand name, Hotwire can offer customers deep savings on hotel rooms, rental cars, and flights.

Hotwire is an operating company within Expedia Group. For more information, visit http://www.hotwire.com.

© 2019 Hotwire, Inc. All rights reserved. Hotwire, Hot Rate and the Hotwire logo are trademarks of Hotwire, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. CST# 2053390-50

About DraftKings
DraftKings is a global sports technology and entertainment company that believes life is more fun with skin in the game. Its mission is to bring fans closer to the games they love via a unique combination of daily fantasy sports, sports betting and media platforms that, combined, deliver 'The Game Inside The Game.' Founded in 2012 by Matt Kalish, Paul Libermanand Jason Robins, DraftKings is headquartered in Boston, MA, and offers daily fantasy sports contests across 13 professional sports in 8 countries including the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Australia. Operating pursuant to state regulations in New Jerseyand Mississippi, DraftKings Sportsbook mobile and retail, allows players in the state to engage in betting for major U.S. and international sports.

*Addt'l Game Details:

• Users will be required to select 10 players for each game to build their lineup
• • 2 Pitchers, 1 Catcher, 1 First Base, 1 Second Base, 1 Third Base, 1 Shortstop, 3 Outfielders
  • Tier-based drafting (no salary cap)
• When selecting players, player names, and teams will not appear, and images will be silhouettes
• • Player stats will appear which is how users will select each player
  • Hitters will display the following stats:
  • • Singles, Doubles, Triples, Home Runs, RBIs, Runs, Base on Balls, Hit by Pitch, Stolen Bases
  • Pitchers will display the following stats:
  • • Innings Pitched, Strike Oust, Earned Runs Allowed, Hits against, Base on Balls against, Hit Batsman, Complete Games, Complete Game Shutouts, No Hitters
• After a user completes their team, players will begin to display their headshots / name only once the games go live and the contest locks
• The winner of the contest will have the highest number of points based on their lineups score for that contest

Media Contacts

Jina Michael-Smith
Citizen Relations for Hotwire
[e-mail]
[phone]

Carolin Fuller
Hotwire
[e-mail]
[phone]

SOURCE Hotwire