Penn Entertainment's ESPN Bet and theScore Bet named official sports betting partners of the NHL

Penn Entertainment and the National Hockey League (NHL) have announced a partnership that designates Penn’s online sports betting brands, ESPN Bet in the US and theScore Bet in Ontario, as official sports betting partners of the NHL.

The company noted that as official league partners, ESPN Bet and theScore Bet will have access to a host of entitlements, including IP rights, and media and marketing integrations across league programming and premium NHL experiences.

ESPN Bet was launched on November 14th in 17 states. The newly branded online sportsbook combines ESPN’s status as the largest sports media brand in the US and its multiplatform reach with Penn’s proprietary in-house technology.

ESPN Bet was rebranded from Penn's existing sports betting app, Barstool Sportsbook. Earlier in August, Penn announced that it sold Barstool Sports back to its founder Dave Portnoy for $1.

Penn's entitlements will begin immediately and span the NHL regular season, Stanley Cup Playoffs, 2024 NHL Winter Classic, 2024 NHL Stadium Series, and 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend. The partnership between PENN and the NHL will also include collaboration for game integrity procedures.

“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,” said Jason Jazayeri, NHL Vice President, Business Development. 

“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 U.S. and theScore Bet in Ontario to engage our passionate fan base.”

“The recent launch of ESPN BET in the U.S. is extremely exciting and we’re thrilled to collaborate with the NHL to help market our new sports betting experience,” said Aubrey Levy, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Content, Penn Interactive.

“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.”