ESPN Bet has deep integrations in new streaming app
I won’t speak to what level or what the product looks like, because that product hasn’t launched,” said PENN Chief Technical Officer Aaron LaBerge.
“But we also think that’s going to be something that people see and want to experience and be part of because of the way it’s implemented. It’s very cool and very compelling.”
Snowden revisited the symbiosis between the network and the gaming product several times as well. With ESPN putting its own resources behind promoting its streaming service, the argument is a rising tide will lift all boats, but Snowden was also very aware that execution on the gaming side plays a huge role.
“Obviously, it’s incumbent on us to make sure that when people click on those integrations or give us an opportunity, that it’s a really smooth seamless process when they download, when they register, when they go through the whole process. And we think we’re in a much stronger position this year to execute on that,” he noted.
Fan Center hopes to be seamless transition between the two apps
Last year was the first year ESPN and PENN were really able to prepare and game plan for football season. This year, the two companies have already announced updates that hope to make the navigation between the two apps even easier.
Earlier this week, ESPN Bet revealed plans to launch Fan Center, which will utilize preferences users have within the ESPN app on ESPN Bet.
“This dedicated hub powered by account linking technology with ESPN creates the ultimate interconnected media, betting, fantasy experience. In addition to fantasy-related markets within Fan Center, a new Find a Bet icon on the ESPN Fantasy app will allow players to view ESPN bet markets related to their roster and add selections directly to their ESPN bet slip. Last year, ESPN Fantasy Football set an all time mark with more than 13,000,000 playing the game. Opportunities like this to leverage the nation’s number one fantasy app is a big part of why we did the deal with ESPN. And we look forward to continuing to wor together to unleash the full value of this partnership,” Snowden added.
The Q and A inevitably turned to ESPN’s newly announced deal with the NFL, but Snowden noted the terms are not even finalized so he cannot speak too much on the role ESPN Bet will play. The integration of the NFL fantasy football platform in with ESPN Fantasy has direct ties to ESPN Bet, but, like the streaming platform, Snowden sees additional upside in the ESPN brand just having a larger reach that benefits everyone.
ESPN Bet expects 4% market share by end of 2025
Even with this giant reach, the brand has yet to capture even close to the 20% market share mentioned when the deal was first announced two years ago. PENN hopes to have 4% of the U.S. market (excluding New York) by the end of the year.
The number is inauspicious, but during the call Snowden said he believed PENN digital was on track to be profitable in 2026. This is despite the interactive division losing $62 million over the span of Q2. Roughly $3 million of those losses can be credited to severance pay, as theScore and PENN Interactive both conducted a round of layoffs to streamline operations.
Standalone casino app doesn’t cannibalize
While ESPN Bet was the star of the call, the online casino business did draw a fair amount of attention, particularly the successful launch of the standalone Hollywood Casino app, which PENN leadership noted did not meaningfully eat into the existing customer base using the casino and sportsbook all-in-one offering.
And, like every other gaming CEO this month, Snowden fielded a question about prediction markets. Unlike DraftKings, which is taking a fairly proactive approach to the market, PENN is keen to wait and see on this front.
“I wouldn’t expect us to be a first mover. But if it’s something that does end up getting sort of embraced and legalized and regulated, of course, it’s something that we would stay very close to and take a look at. But I wouldn’t expect us to be a first mover there. We want to see how this plays out. There’s a lot going on right now in the courts, as well as with the regulators across the country.”
Dingenws.com 18/08/2025