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ESPN Still ‘Bullish’ as ESPN Bet Fades, DraftKings Returns
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- ESPN Still ‘Bullish’ as ESPN Bet Fades, DraftKings Returns
(Lorenzo Gordon)
ESPN Bet is no more, but betting content on ESPN platforms is here to stay. Starting Monday, DraftKings becomes the official sportsbook and odds provider across ESPN platforms; what was known as ESPN Bet—as part of a potential 10-year, $2 billion tie up with Penn Entertainment—has been rebranded as theScore Bet.
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Following a full rollout expected in 2026, DraftKings' sportsbook, daily fantasy and Pick6 offerings will be available to ESPN users. The multiyear deal also includes DraftKings' soon-to-launch prediction market product, according to a source familiar with the agreement.
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Financial terms of the ESPN-DraftKings deal have not been disclosed. Penn said it would pay ESPN $38 million to cover its commitment through November plus $5 million to help market its transition to theScore Bet. DraftKings and Caesars were previously "co-exclusive" betting partners for ESPN before Penn got involved.
DraftKings plans to launch its prediction market product this winter in states where it does not have a sportsbook available, following the growth of newcomers Kalshi and Polymarket. The data from the federally regulated, event-contract offering could theoretically appear on ESPN alongside typical prediction metrics shown next to upcoming game information such as fan voting results and ESPN model projections. That kind of exposure could give DraftKings a leg up in the nascent category while also exposing many more fans to the new—and controversial—form of trading.
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Much of the infrastructure, knowhow and internal buy-in that ESPN built up over the two years of its Penn deal will continue to be leveraged in the new partnership, ESPN VP of betting and fantasy Mike Morrison explained recently while talking to reporters.
"We have significant aspirations here," he said. "We're really bullish about the betting business."
ESPN executives regularly cite data showing that sports fans come to the company looking for betting content—both information to help them make wagers and entertainment tied to gambling. Working with DraftKings rather than an ESPN-branded book will likely allow the network to focus more on that content rather than the promotional and operational elements of integrating sports betting into the company's offerings, ranging from fantasy games to TV channels.
DraftKings CEO Jason Robins reportedly reached out to ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro earlier this year, after Penn CEO Jay Snowden suggested the company could split with ESPN sooner than expected.
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DraftKings also brings its own userbase to the table, with in-app and email promos expected to help boost ESPN's direct-to-consumer subscription business. The company has several league partnerships already as well, which Morrison said could allow ESPN to be even more creative in how it covers betting around events. DraftKings also recently inked a new deal with NBCUniversal that—along with the ESPN tie-up—could help it increase its share of the NBA betting market. There is now fresh competition in Missouri specifically, which is allowing sports gambling as of Monday.
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