Penn Entertainment is ending its partnership with ESPN, shutting down ESPN Bet, the joint sportsbook the two companies launched more than two years ago. The announcement came on November 6, during Penn’s quarterly earnings call. The partnership began in 2023 when Penn rebranded its struggling Barstool Sportsbook as ESPN Bet, hoping the famous sports media
Penn Entertainment is ending its partnership with ESPN, shutting down ESPN Bet, the joint sportsbook the two companies launched more than two years ago.
The announcement came on November 6, during Penn’s quarterly earnings call. The partnership began in 2023 when Penn rebranded its struggling Barstool Sportsbook as ESPN Bet, hoping the famous sports media brand would help it grow into a top online sportsbook. Penn aimed for 20% market share by 2027, but by fall 2025, ESPN Bet had only reached 4.7%, barely better than Barstool’s performance.
Jay Snowden, PENN Entertainment CEO, stated:
“For ESPN, the split is part of a broader shift. The network quickly announced a new partnership with DraftKings, which will take over the betting features in the ESPN app starting December 1. The ESPN Bet app will close on the same day.”
The move will let Penn reduce fixed media costs and focus more on its North American casino and online gaming businesses. The company plans to relaunch its U.S. sportsbook under theScore Bet brand by December 2025, linking it with its Hollywood Casino digital platform and theScore media app, which has around four million monthly users.
“We appreciate the collaboration we had with Penn and are now pursuing other media and marketing opportunities within this space.”
Said ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro.