“Remember when ESPN was exiting the sports-betting business an hour ago? Not anymore. ESPN has now announced its new online gambling deal with DraftKings. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. DraftKings, ESPN’s new online-betting partner, is undoubtedly an upgrade from its expiring one, Penn Entertainment. A person with knowledge of the new deal tells”, — write: www.hollywoodreporter.com
DraftKings, ESPN’s new online-betting partner, is undoubtedly an upgrade from its expiring one, Penn Entertainment. A person with knowledge of the new deal tells The Hollywood Reporter it will be a more lucrative one for ESPN.
Under its old deal, ESPN provided Penn with its name and marketing services. In exchange, ESPN received $150 million per year in cash payments and warrants to purchase Penn common stock. (It was the same deal that sold Barstool Sports back to Dave Portnoy.) The arrangement was set to be 10 years, with a termination clause after three. It made it about two years.
So now, effective Dec. 1, 2025, DraftKings is checking in at the scorer’s table — a full rollout is coming in 2026. Among other integrations, DraftKings will power the betting tab within the new ESPN app.
The existing ESPN Bet app, owned and operated by Penn, will be rebranded as theScore Bet. The ESPN Bet brand name will now be used within content, like the title for sports-gambling series ESPN Bet Livewhich currently airs weekdays at 6:30 pm ET on ESPN2.
An ESPN insider tells THR that this change has nothing to do with the ongoing NBA gambling scandal. The timing is curious, of course, and the optics here will undoubtedly be improved.
ESPN found itself in a tough spot when, last month, the FBI and US Attorney’s Office arrested current NBA player Terry Rozier, former player Damon Jones and former player and current Portland Trailblazers head coach Chauncey Billups in a recent federal probe into illegal sports betting and rigged poker games. ESPN’s coverage of the scandal was marred a bit with the ESPN Bet chyron populating the lower-third of the screen.
“Our betting approach has focused on offering an integrated experience within our products,” said Jimmy Pitaro, chairman, ESPN. “Working with DraftKings, a leader in the space, will allow us to build upon that foundation, continue to super-serve passionate sports fans and grow our ESPN direct-to-consumer business. We are excited about this new collaboration with DraftKings.”
“ESPN’s unmatched visibility across the world of sports makes this collaboration a natural fit,” said Jason Robins, CEO and co-founder of DraftKings. “As an innovative leader in digital sports entertainment, DraftKings is uniquely positioned to integrate our technology and products with ESPN’s iconic brand and storytelling power. Together, we’re delivering a seamless, engaging, and responsible experience that elevates how fans connect with live sports.”