Copyright Mechanicsburg Patriot News
In 2023, casino operator Penn Entertainment turned to ESPN to compete in the online sports betting space with companies like DraftKings. But on Thursday morning, Penn Entertainment and ESPN announced that they will end their online sports betting partnership on Dec. 1. The same day, ESPN will start a new partnership with who else — gaming giant DraftKings. ESPN and DraftKings announced the agreement on Thursday. The agreement names DraftKings the exclusive official sportsbook and odds provider of ESPN. “Our betting approach has focused on offering an integrated experience within our products,” Jimmy Pitaro, chairman of ESPN, said in a news release. “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.” DraftKings will power the betting tab within the ESPN mobile application. Terms of the agreement weren’t disclosed. DraftKings Sportsbook is live with mobile and/or retail sports betting operations in 28 states, Washington, D.C., and Ontario, Canada. DraftKings’ daily fantasy sports product is available in 44 states, the District of Columbia, and certain Canadian provinces. DraftKings was founded in 2012. ESPN Bet will shift to a sports betting content brand with DraftKings Sportsbook integrations, anchored by ESPN’s betting show, ESPN Bet Live, which airs weekdays at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
