ESPN Bet debuts – a strategic move into sports betting arena

ESPN is teaming with Penn Entertainment to create a betting service named ESPN Bet, which goes live for signups on November 15. Data from YouGov Profiles underscores the synergy between ESPN's viewership and sports betting behavior.

A quarter of online sports bettors engage with ESPN several times a day (26%), and one-fifth once a day (22%), significantly higher than the 7% (in both cases) of all US adults reporting the same levels of engagement. This intensive interaction suggests that ESPN Bet could capitalize on an audience already highly receptive to ESPN's offerings.

Furthermore, the cross-section of ESPN's viewership with betting behavior reveals that 12% of ESPN's viewers bet on sports at least once a month, more than double the national representative figure of 5%.

ESPN's foray into sports betting through ESPN Bet is a calculated response to clear consumer trends and behaviors. The partnership with Penn Entertainment is poised to offer a symbiotic relationship between sports broadcasting and betting, creating a rich terrain for marketers and brands to connect with a dedicated and active audience segment.

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Methodology: YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data and rolling surveys, rather than from a single limited questionnaire. Profiles data for the US is nationally representative and weighted by age, gender, education, region, and race. Learn more about Profiles. 

Cover photo by ESPN BET press room