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ESPN Ends Penn Deal, Signs Exclusive DraftKings Partnership Effective Dec. 1

The shift moves ESPN from running a namesake sportsbook to integrating DraftKings odds across its platforms.

Feb 5, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; The ESPN logo at the Super Bowl LIX media center at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images/File Photo
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A drone view shows advertisements for the online sports betting companies BetMGM and DraftKings at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., June 18, 2024. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
The ESPN logo is seen on an electronic display in Times Square in New York City, U.S., August 23, 2017.

Overview

  • ESPN and Penn mutually agreed to wind down their two-year ESPN Bet arrangement on Dec. 1, ending the early-terminated 10-year pact.
  • DraftKings becomes ESPN’s exclusive official sportsbook and odds provider on Dec. 1, powering the betting tab in the ESPN app with sportsbook, daily fantasy and Pick6 at launch and broader integrations expected in 2026.
  • ESPN Bet will live on as a betting content brand anchored by ESPN Bet Live, while Penn will rebrand its U.S. sportsbook to theScore Bet and handle customer migration.
  • An SEC filing shows Penn’s remaining payments to ESPN stop in the fourth quarter of 2025, including $38.1 million in fees and $5 million in transition advertising support.
  • The change follows ESPN Bet’s underperformance against market-share targets in a FanDuel–DraftKings dominated market, as ESPN emphasizes integrated betting features to support its direct-to-consumer strategy.