ESPN partners with Caesars Entertainment Inc. and DraftKings Inc

ESPN has entered into longstanding agreements with Caesars Entertainment Inc. and DraftKings Inc., two of the USA’s foremost betting powerhouses, further building on its relationship with the two major gambling operators.  

The agreement will integrate ESPN’s digital platforms with DraftKings and Caesars Entertainment’s sportsbook.   Aside from the two major operators, William Hill is also part of the picture.  This is because of Caesars Entertainment’s and Eldorado Resort’s merger, where the latter is owned and operated by William Hill, making it the exclusive sports betting operator of the Caesars Entertainment.  

This collaboration will see Caesars Entertainment as the exclusive betting odds supplier across ESPN’s networks while DartKings stands as ESPN’s exclusive daily fantasy sports provider for its fantasy sports content found on its most popular shows.  Moreover, ESPN will integrate its web platform with William Hill’s sports betting verticals such as its website and mobile apps.  These vertical integrations also include website link integrations and ads that are targeted at customers in states where online sports betting is legal.

Aside from online integrations, the agreement also entails the development of an ESPN branded studio in one of Caesars Entertainment’s properties.  The studio is located at Caesars’ LINQ Hotel + Experience on the Las Vegas Strip and was launched last week as ESPN’s Las Vegas hub for its sports betting content.   The facility covers a six thousand square foot area featuring three studios equipped with state of the art cameras which include two exterior remote-controlled cameras.   The facility is also the network’s first studio to fully support native 4k resolution content streaming.  

Mike Morrison, ESPN’s vice president of business development & innovation, has commented on the company’s recent link-ups saying that with its partnership with Caesars and its subsequent access to William Hill’s sports betting database, ESPN will be able to leverage this and deliver new and exciting content to its viewers. He also added that these link-ups collectively represent the next significant milestone in the company’s bid to diversify its exposure and deepen its commitment to the sports betting scene.  He further added that aside from this, the multi-vertical link-up is also a testament to the growth and potential of the sports betting scene.  

Tom Reeg, chief executive officer of Caesars Entertainment, also highlighted William Hill’s value in this partnership deal with ESPN.  He stated that as Caesars’ exclusive sports betting operator, William Hill has added immediate value to the operator’s portfolio of properties. He also added that since ESPN is one of the largest sports content providers in the world, this partnership agreement with will surely be fruitful for both parties moving forward.  

Jason Robins, co-founder, chairman and chief executive officer of DraftKings also expressed his opinions on the matter. He praised ESPN as one of the forces that shaped and revolutionised the sports news cycle, bringing round the clock content to many viewers. He also went to say that ESPN is the go-to sports news outlet for many sports enthusiasts today. He further added that DraftKings looks forward to this collaboration to showcase its daily sports fantasy content and as well as its sports betting prowess, paving the way for its mainstream adoption.