Get ready for the launch of ESPN Bet, at least in the seventeen states where the company operates. If you live in Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Tennessee, Virginia, or West Virginia then be looking for the app to go live November 14th.
Betting on sporting events is now legal in nearly forty states across America, but that doesn’t mean the app will work everywhere. Online sports betting must be regulated in the state where you live, and ESPN must have a license to operate there.
However, if you don’t have access to ESPN Bet just yet, don’t be too upset. Many industry experts expect that within a few years the app will grow large enough to take the industry lead away from both FanDuel and DraftKings. And sports betting in America is still in its infancy.
The launch of the app can be traced back to August of this year, when Penn Entertainment entered a $1.5 billion agreement with ESPN, who are owned by Disney. The launch of the ESPN Bet app will come just in time to take advantage of Thanksgiving football betting and the NFL playoffs.
Penn Entertainment CEO, Jay Snowden, stated that their alliance with Disney will expand the company’s digital ecosystem and “Drive re-engagement with the millions of customers in our digital and retail databases, leading to compelling cross-sell opportunities.”
ESPN is the largest sports media brand in America, and they have a massive advertising blitz planned for the roll out of ESPN Bet. That campaign will target an estimated 200 million people all across linear and digital platforms.
