ESPN announces launch date for sports betting app

FILE – This Sept. 16, 2013, file photo shows the ESPN logo prior to an NFL football game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers, in Cincinnati. Disney-owned ESPN has licensed its brand for use in a sports betting app, striking a deal in which it will receive $1.5 billion and other considerations from Penn Entertainment. The deal, announced Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023 could take Walt Disney Co.-owned ESPN into uncharted waters.(AP Photo/David Kohl, File)

by: Iman Palm

Posted: Nov 2, 2023 / 12:44 PM PDT

Updated: Nov 2, 2023 / 12:49 PM PDT

ESPN will officially enter the world of sports betting with the debut of ESPN Bet, Walt Disney Co., ESPN’s parent company, announced Thursday.

Penn Entertainment is transforming its Barstool Sportsbook into ESPN Bet. The two companies inked a $2 billion deal in August, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The app will make its official debut on Nov. 14.

Official odds for sports games provided by the new app will also be used across editorial and other content, a news release said.

ESPN’s “Daily Wager” program will also be rebranded into “ESPN Bet Live” beginning on Nov. 10. The last episode of “Daily Wager” will air on Nov. 6.

ESPN Bet will go live in 17 states on its initial launch date, subject to final approvals, a news release said.

The app is scheduled to debut in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

The Golden State has not legalized sports betting after Californians voted against two propositions in November 2022 that would have legalized in-person bets at tribal casinos and online wagers, Cal Matters reported.

News of Disney potentially entering the sports betting world began to circulate in 2022. When asked about sports betting, former Disney CEO Bob Chapek said the company was “working very hard on that.”