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4w ago

ESPN Ends PENN Sportsbook Deal, Taps DraftKings as Exclusive Betting Partner

The shift follows ESPN Bet’s failure to reach market-share thresholds in a market dominated by FanDuel/DraftKings.

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

  • Effective Dec. 1, 2025, DraftKings becomes ESPN’s exclusive official sportsbook and odds provider with integrations beginning across ESPN platforms and a full rollout expected in 2026.
  • PENN will retire the ESPN Bet brand as an operating app and rebrand its U.S. sportsbook to theScore Bet, with user migration targeted to begin Dec. 1 pending approvals.
  • ESPN Bet will be repurposed as a sports-betting content brand anchored by ESPN BET Live, featuring DraftKings Sportsbook integrations.
  • DraftKings will power the betting tab in the ESPN app and offer access to its sportsbook, daily fantasy, and Pick6 at launch, with responsible-gaming initiatives highlighted by both companies.
  • Remaining PENN payments to ESPN stop in Q4 2025, with an SEC filing citing $38.1 million in fees plus $5 million in advertising support to facilitate the transition; ESPN says it drove over 2.9 million users into PENN’s ecosystem.