Penn Entertainment and the National Hockey League (NHL) have signed a deal that will establish Penn’s ESPN Bet US brand, and its theScore Bet Ontario brand, as official NHL sports betting partners.
Under the terms of the agreement, ESPN Bet and theScore Bet will hold IP rights, as well as marketing and media integration across the NHL’s programming scope.
ESPN Bet is a recently launched US sportsbook that offers sports fans access to “custom content identity to live across the entire ESPN ecosystem, inclusive but not limited to in-app, digital, social and programming.”
The brand’s formation is a result of a recent partnership between Penn Entertainment and ESPN. Penn Entertainment rebranded its existing sportsbook, which is currently licensed in 16 US states, to form the ESPN Bet name.
ESPN Bet includes a website, mobile app and retail locations that were mutually agreed upon by both companies.
Penn Interactive SVP of Marketing and Content Aurey Levy commented, “The recent launch of ESPN Bet in the US is extremely exciting and we’re thrilled to collaborate with the NHL to help market our new sports betting experience.
“Becoming an official partner allows us to more broadly engage hockey fans, develop compelling integrations and uniquely leverage NHL programming. This is also a key partnership for theScore Bet in Ontario, where the popularity of hockey is unmatched.”
NHL VP, Business Development Jason Jazayeri described the duo’s partnership as a mutual win for sports fans and the companies.
He commented further by saying, “There’s definite excitement in being one of the first leagues to partner with ESPN Bet and Penn Entertainment.
“From day one we’ve said our media rights deal with ESPN and The Walt Disney Company has been a big win for our fans and our League, and this new collaboration is further testament to the value of our partnership.
"The NHL is younger, faster and more exciting than ever, and delivers tremendous opportunity for fan engagement and responsible gaming experiences. We’re looking forward to working with ESPN Bet in the US and theScore Bet in Ontario to engage our passionate fan base.”
