ESPN Enters into Co-Exclusive Agreements with Caesars Entertainment and DraftKings
September 14 2020 - 12:02PM
Business Wire
ESPN today announced that it has entered into two separate
multi-year agreements with Caesars Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ:
CZR) and DraftKings Inc. (NASDAQ: DKNG). Both deals include
co-exclusive link integrations across ESPN digital platforms
connecting fans to sportsbooks from Caesars Entertainment’s sports
betting partner, William Hill, and DraftKings. As part of the new
agreements, ESPN expands its relationships with both Caesars, as
the exclusive odds provider and co-exclusive sportsbook link-out
provider, and DraftKings, as the exclusive daily fantasy sports
provider and co-exclusive sportsbook link-out provider.
“Our new agreements with Caesars and DraftKings collectively
represent the next significant milestone for ESPN to diversify our
exposure and deepen our commitment in the sports betting space,”
said Mike Morrison, Vice President of Business Development
& Innovation, ESPN. “We began growing the experience through
content, followed by odds utilizing William Hill’s sports betting
data and a new state-of-the-art studio facility in Las Vegas
through our deal with Caesars, and now with the addition of
DraftKings, we are bringing together the sports media leader with
two of the top brands and best products in the segment.”
As part of the new Caesars agreement, Caesars Sportsbook by
William Hill will also become a sponsor of ESPN’s Fantasy products,
deepening its relationship as ESPN’s exclusive odds provider. The
news follows the recent launch of ESPN’s Las Vegas studio at The
LINQ Hotel + Experience and its expanded content collaboration.
“Caesars’ relationship with ESPN continues to deepen with the
ability to directly link to sportsbooks from our partner, William
Hill, from ESPN’s digital platforms,” said Tom Reeg, CEO of
Caesars Entertainment, Inc. “ESPN’s unparalleled reach provides a
transformational opportunity for sports fans and enthusiasts to
engage and wager at their fingertips. This new initiative closely
followed the grand opening of the new ESPN Studio with Caesars at
the center of the world-famous Las Vegas Strip.”
Under the new DraftKings deal, DraftKings will also become
ESPN’s exclusive daily fantasy sports and co-exclusive sportsbook
link-out provider. Additionally, DraftKings will power integrations
across all ESPN content, beginning with daily fantasy sports
segments on ESPN’s premier studio shows.
“We are very excited to be expanding our relationship with ESPN
to include deeper integration of both our sports betting and daily
fantasy sports offerings across their platforms,” said Jason
Robins, Co-Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of
DraftKings. “ESPN’s reach amongst sports fans is unparalleled, and
the start of NFL is the perfect time for DraftKings to be launching
this integration.”
All sportsbook links will be geo-targeted to legalized sports
betting states. Link integrations across digital platforms will
include ESPN.com web and mobile web and the ESPN Fantasy app.
“Sports betting is quickly becoming endemic to the overall
experience of the sports fan,” said Mark Walker, Senior Vice
President of Business Development & Innovation, ESPN. “To us,
that means greater opportunities to innovate and deliver the best
and most seamless experience for fans, which will ultimately expand
ESPN’s brand and audience and increase engagement. It is an
industry that we will continue to actively pursue as it grows and
evolves.”
About Caesars Entertainment, Inc.
Caesars Entertainment, Inc. is the largest casino-entertainment
company in the U.S. and one of the world’s most diversified
casino-entertainment providers. Since its beginning in Reno,
Nevada, in 1937, Caesars Entertainment has grown through
development of new resorts, expansions and acquisitions. Caesars
Entertainment’s resorts operate primarily under the Caesars®,
Harrah’s®, Horseshoe® and Eldorado® brand names. Caesars
Entertainment offers diversified amenities and one-of-a-kind
destinations, with a focus on building loyalty and value with its
guests through a unique combination of impeccable service,
operational excellence and technology leadership. Caesars
Entertainment is committed to its employees, suppliers, communities
and the environment through its PEOPLE PLANET PLAY framework. For
more information, please visit www.caesars.com/corporate.
About DraftKings
DraftKings Inc. (Nasdaq: DKNG) is a digital sports entertainment
and gaming company created to fuel the competitive spirits of
sports fans with products that range across daily fantasy,
regulated gaming and digital media. Headquartered in Boston, and
launched in 2012 by Jason Robins, Matt Kalish and Paul Liberman,
DraftKings is the only U.S.-based vertically integrated sports
betting operator. DraftKings is a multi-channel provider of sports
betting and gaming technologies, powering sports and gaming
entertainment for 50+ operators across more than 15 regulated U.S.
and global markets, including Arkansas and Oregon in the U.S.
DraftKings’ Sportsbook offers mobile and retail betting for major
U.S. and international sports and operates in the United States
pursuant to regulations in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,
Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and
West Virginia. DraftKings’ daily fantasy sports product is
available in 8 countries internationally with 15 distinct sports
categories. DraftKings is the official daily fantasy partner of the
NFL, MLB and the PGA TOUR as well as an authorized gaming operator
of the NBA and MLB and an official betting operator of the PGA
TOUR.
About ESPN
ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment enterprise,
features more than 50 assets – eight U.S. television networks,
direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com and the ESPN App,
ESPN International, and more. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc.
(an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent
by Hearst.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200914005684/en/
Media Contacts: Kristie Adler, ESPN, (646) 547-5637 or
kristie.adler@espn.com Celena Haas-Stacey, Caesars, (702) 880-6951
or chaas@caesars.com Sabrina Macias, DraftKings, (917) 653-2525 or
smacias@draftkings.com
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