‘Something ESPN has to do’: New ESPN BET product showcases seamless app integration ahead of launch

With ESPN BET set to hit the sports betting landscape early next week, ESPN executives shared their vision of the branded sportsbook for the first time at ESPN’s third annual ESPN EDGE Conference on Thursday.

The conference takes viewers and fans behind the scenes of the brand’s technology and analytics innovations over the past year. Jay Snowden, CEO and president of PENN Entertainment, and Mike Morrison, vice president of sports betting and fantasy at ESPN, shared the stage to give the virtual and in-person audience a sneak peek of what’s to come from the Nov. 14 launch of ESPN BET.

Snowden said PENN, a Wyomissing, Pa. based company which has partnered with ESPN to create ESPN BET, was introduced to ESPN officials, including chairman Jimmy Pitaro, through a mutual friend. In that initial meeting, Snowden said it was clear that ESPN was looking for a sportsbook to partner with that would allow fans to check scores, headlines, and place a bet, all in a single app.

“It was very clear to Jimmy [Pitaro] that this isn’t something that ESPN wants to do. This is something that ESPN has to do, because sports fans are demanding it,” Snowden said. “This was an opportunity of a century to be able to do this with ESPN, and the trust factor had to be there between Jimmy and myself on our teams, obviously the more time we spend together through due diligence.”

» READ MORE: ESPN BET launches Nov. 14. States, games and everything else you need to know

In addition to partnering with ESPN, PENN also has a partnership with theScore, one of Canada’s top sports media companies. PENN launched sports betting through theScore Bet in April 2022 and has seamless integration in its app between the betting features, latest sports headlines, scoreboards, and more.

Snowden says PENN plans on using similar interface software to create a seamless experience for people who are using ESPN BET.

“You can actually put together your bet slip for sports while you’re in the media app, seamless, fill out your bet slip and the only thing that would happen when you’re ready to place that bet is you hit ‘place bet,’” Snowden explained. “You won’t feel like you’re getting out of an app and back into an app; in the media app, populate the bet slip, move it over, transact... eventually that slip will follow along with you throughout the day.”

According to Snowden, 73% of all wagers placed through theScore Bet sportsbook app originated in theScore’s media app. PENN is optimistic that this approach for ESPN BET can be replicated.

Along with its application, ESPN BET will be embedded in the content ESPN produces, including its daily shows and some of its largest personalities like Scott Van Pelt, Elle Duncan, and Pat McAfee. Van Pelt has already been featured on one of ESPN BET’s promotional videos.

One of the advantages of working with ESPN’s talent, Snowden said, is the ability to create and customize personalized ‘Parlay Plus’ that features same game parlays from personalities such as Van Pelt, McAfee, and Duncan.

“When you open up the app, the home screen you’re gonna have your promotions, which will be ESPN-themed, and then the featured bets, obviously will cater towards what the biggest talent at ESPN behind sports betting want to do for that day,” Snowden continued. “You can actually double-click on your favorite game, favorite team, and place bets within the game.”

One integration ESPN BET hopes to roll out in the near future is connecting the interface of its sports betting application to ESPN’s fantasy database, and curating player props picks that coincide with players in a fantasy football lineup to further engage its sports audience.

PENN expects to have 20% of the online sports betting market by 2027, and Snowden had one last message for doubters to close out segment at the conference.

“We’re in this space to win. And when I say ‘we,’ that’s PENN and that’s ESPN... we can stop speculating and now we can finally say, you’ll see next week how much they care.”

» READ MORE: ESPN BET won’t be ready for the start of football season. Here’s when it will launch.

Daily Wager, previously ESPN’s flagship betting show, will relaunch as ESPN BET Live on Friday. The show will be hosted by ESPN’s Tyler Fulghum.

“You’ll see presence across a number of different areas, both in pregame shows, and signature shows such as Sportscenter, a lot of new personalities will be emerging,” Mike Morrison said Thursday. “Joe Fortenbaugh and Erin Dolan are two of our new talent that are developing in the betting space.”

ESPN BET will go live in 17 states on its launch day, ahead of a big week in sports that includes an Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl rematch on Monday Night Football on Nov. 20.