ESPN BET, one of the most highly-anticipated online sports betting platforms in the United States, finally has an official launch date. As announced by ESPN, the new online sportsbook is set to debut on November 14.
ESPN BET is set to launch in a total of 17 states, including Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The launch in Massachusetts recently faced a challenge as the local regulator required more information from PENN Entertainment.
In addition to revealing the official launch date, ESPN also announced that it is now using official odds provided by ESPN BET across editorial and other content.
ESPN BET is a joint venture of the experienced gambling operator PENN Entertainment and the Walt Disney Corporation-owned media channel ESPN. As a result, the launch of ESPN BET signifies Disney’s foray into the world of sports wagering.
ESPN Has a Lot in Store
ESPN also unveiled a new advertising campaign featuring SportsCenter anchor Scott Van Pelt who will showcase the cohesiveness of the ESPN and ESPN BET apps by receiving notifications from the two apps. The ESPN BET Creative campaign will launch around the sportsbook’s launch and will also feature SportsCenter anchor Elle Duncan.
In the meantime, the beloved ESPN Daily Wager program will be known as ESPN BET Live from November 10 onward. ESPN noted that the show’s final episode as Daily Wager is set to air on November 6.
ESPN also announced that fans will be able to enter into a sweepstakes ahead of the launch of the new sports betting platform. Participants in the sweepstakes can win an exclusive trip to ESPN’s headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut.
PENN Entertainment’s president & CEO, Jay Snowden, commented on the launch of ESPN BET in his company’s Q3 report. He teased that the ESPN BET product will include a “wide array of popular betting options,” including featured bets, quick bets (micro-markets), player props and same game parlays, among others.
Looking ahead, we will be introducing even deeper platform and media integrations with ESPN over the upcoming months, providing an unmatched and seamless media/betting experience that will appeal to sports fans across the country.
Jay Snowden, president & CEO, PENN Entertainment
ESPN BET’s logo was revealed a few days ago, further ramping up the hype for the launch of the sportsbook. However, the similarities with BroThrow’s logo also attracted criticism.