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

After announcing its intentions to enter the sports betting space, ESPN BET, a joint partnership between ESPN and Berks County-based PENN Entertainment, has an official launch date set for later this month.

The two companies reached an agreement in August, with PENN Entertainment paying ESPN $1.5 billion in cash payments over a 10-year agreement for the exclusive rights deal, which includes allowing ESPN to buy $500 million in PENN’s purchase shares.

In less than two weeks, ESPN BET will go live in several states, including Pennsylvania. Here’s what we know about this new operator, set to reach the betting market soon.

ESPN BET will officially go live on Nov. 14. The network recently unveiled its ESPN BET logo ahead of this latest development.

“We want to make sure we have the time to not just to do the reskinning of the apps at ESPN BET in a way that is branded appropriately,” PENN Entertainment CEO Jay Snowden said in August.

» READ MORE: ESPN BET announces launch date, plans to go live in 17 states, including Pennsylvania

Still pending regulatory approval, ESPN BET will go live in 17 states where PENN Entertainment is licensed to operate.

“We are excited to announce that we plan to simultaneously launch ESPN BET on November 14 across the 17 states in which we operate online sports betting, subject to final approvals,” Snowden said during a quarterly earnings call on Thursday. “This strategic alliance is expected to further expand our digital ecosystem and drive re-engagement with the millions of customers in our digital and retail databases, leading to compelling cross-sell opportunities.”

Here are the states ESPN BET will be live in:

» READ MORE: ESPN partners with PENN Entertainment to form ESPN BET, which will launch this fall

There couldn’t have been a better time for ESPN BET to launch, considering that the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLS are all in season. In addition, college basketball is starting up, with plenty of early-season tournaments and noteworthy matchups.

Rivalry week is drawing closer as the college football regular-season is waning. Plus, the NFL will have a Super Bowl rematch coinciding with ESPN BET’s launch. The Eagles and Chiefs will face off on Monday Night Football on Nov. 20, six days after ESPN BET launches. College football has a couple of rivalry games that week, including USC-UCLA and Kansas-Kansas State, plus a handful of ranked matchups, with Georgia facing Tennessee and Washington hosting Oregon State, all on Nov. 18.

In the NBA, the Clippers and Nuggets will play on Nov. 14 as the notable game of the day, set to air on TNT. A doubleheader will air on ESPN on Nov. 15, beginning with the Sixers facing the Celtics in an Eastern Conference semifinals rematch and finishing with a Kings-Lakers matchup.

For men’s college basketball, a massive doubleheader will take place on ESPN BET’s launch date. No. 2 Duke will face No. 4 Michigan State in the first leg of the State Farm Champions Classic, then No. 16 Kentucky will face No. 1 Kansas in the nightcap.

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

ESPN BET announced on Thursday that it plans rebrand its flagship betting show, Daily Wager, as ESPN BET Live, which is set for a relaunch on Nov. 10.

ESPN BET has already begun incorporating its own odds on all of its platforms.

“In connection with the launch, ESPN will be implementing an initial wave of exclusive integrations targeting their 200 million loyal fans across their linear and digital platforms, including an advertising campaign headlined by SportsCenter anchors Scott Van Pelt and Elle Duncan,” Snowden said in a statement.