6 ways ESPN’s new sports betting app will leverage the network’s talent and audience, from Pat McAfee to fantasy sports
- ESPN and Penn Entertainment gave on November 9 a first look at their new ESPN Bet app.
- Execs from both companies shared how the partnership will elevate each of their brands.
- Here are six ways Penn plans to leverage ESPN’s brand and audience to prop up the sportsbook.
ESPN and Penn Entertainment unveiled a first look at their upcoming sports betting app, ESPN Bet, on November 9.
Ahead of the app’s November 14 launch, ESPN’s vice president of sports betting and fantasy Mike Morrison and Penn’s president and CEO Jay Snowden discussed how the sportsbook will leverage ESPN’s iconic brand in the hopes of shaking up the sports betting landscape and giving Penn an edge in the market at the ESPN Edge conference in New York.
The product designs shown at the event, in the mint-green color scheme chosen for the app, were provided by ESPN to Insider.
One slide depicts the “look and feel” of the app, including the home page, bet slip, personalized bet tracker, and parlay options.
Another displays mockups for “product features,” including parlays, quick bets, featured bets, and bet slips that can be shared to social platforms.
Among the featured bets is the “Pat McAfee Parlay Special,” which hints at how Penn intends to tap into ESPN’s talent pool.
Here are six ways Morrison and Snowden stated that ESPN Bet intends to leverage the sports network’s existing domains to elevate the sportsbook, both at launch and in the coming months:
- Snowden stated that the sportsbook will use ESPN’s well-known talent, including Scott Van Pelt, Elle Duncan, and Pat McAfee. These people will have their picks of the day displayed for app users and have been filming commercials, according to Morrison. It’s similar to Penn’s previous Barstool Sportsbook strategy, which allowed users to bet against Barstool personalities like Dave Portnoy.
- ESPN Bet will be promoted on ESPN’s broadcasts, the duo said. “You’ll see presence across a number of different areas, both in pregame shows and signature shows like ‘SportsCenter,'” Morrison said.
- According to Snowden, the sportsbook will employ well-known ESPN talent such as Scott Van Pelt, Elle Duncan, and Pat McAfee. According to Morrison, these people will have their picks of the day displayed for app users and have been filming commercials. It’s similar to Penn’s previous Barstool Sportsbook strategy, which allowed users to wager on Barstool personalities such as Dave Portnoy.
- While ESPN Bet will be separate from the main ESPN app, Morrison and Snowden emphasized the importance of a smooth transition between the two. Penn owns TheScore, a Canadian sports media company with its own sportsbook that leverages its existing audience by linking out from its media to its betting platform.
- Penn also hopes to tap into the audiences that already watch ESPN for sports coverage in order to become a betting destination for marquee events ranging from the Super Bowl to the NBA Finals, according to Snowden.
- Snowden hinted that he wants to use his partner’s physical space as well, noting that Penn operates land-based casinos and Disney has a plethora of physical destinations, though he did not elaborate. “You think about the other major players in sports betting and they really can’t offer an all-inclusive experience,” he went on to say.
