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Re:

Is ESPN BET Shutting Down? What the DraftKings Partnership Means

The PENN-operated ESPN BET sportsbook became theScore Bet on December 1, 2025. ESPN kept ESPN BET as a content brand and made DraftKings its sportsbook and odds partner; former balances stayed with theScore Bet.
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Yes—the PENN-operated ESPN BET sportsbook ended its ESPN branding on December 1, 2025, and became theScore Bet. But ESPN BET did not disappear entirely: ESPN kept the name for betting-related content, while DraftKings became ESPN’s exclusive sportsbook and odds provider. The services are separate, and ESPN said existing ESPN BET balances stayed in the rebranded theScore Bet app—not DraftKings.

What happened to ESPN BET?

ESPN and PENN Entertainment mutually ended their U.S. online sports betting agreement, effective December 1, 2025. PENN operated the sportsbook; after the transition, it rebranded the app and sportsbook as theScore Bet. ESPN retained ESPN BET as a content brand for betting analysis, insights, storytelling, and social and digital content. ESPN’s November 6, 2025 announcement described the agreement’s early termination, and ESPN’s support page, updated December 1, 2025, explains the continuing content brand.

So “ESPN BET is shutting down” is accurate only if it means the PENN sportsbook stopped using ESPN’s name. It is not accurate if it means ESPN ended all betting coverage or PENN’s sportsbook ceased operating.

Is ESPN BET now DraftKings?

No. DraftKings did not buy or take over PENN’s sportsbook. It became ESPN’s exclusive Official Sportsbook and Odds Provider on December 1, 2025, under a separate partnership. DraftKings supplies its own sportsbook and odds services, with integrations across ESPN products planned. DraftKings’ November 6, 2025 announcement describes the partnership.

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Service or brand Operator or role What it does Account implication
theScore Bet PENN-operated sportsbook, rebranded from ESPN BET Online sportsbook where available ESPN said prior ESPN BET balances remained in the rebranded app.
ESPN BET ESPN betting-content brand Betting analysis, insights, storytelling, and related digital and social content It is not the former PENN sportsbook account.
DraftKings ESPN’s exclusive sportsbook and odds provider DraftKings sportsbook and odds services, plus planned ESPN integrations A separate service; former PENN balances did not transfer there.

What happened to ESPN BET account balances?

ESPN’s transition guidance said that existing balances remained in the rebranded theScore Bet app. They did not move to DraftKings. That guidance was published in December 2025; for a current balance, withdrawal, login, or account problem, contact theScore Bet through its current support channel rather than assuming an account migration occurred. ESPN’s funds-transition page records the guidance.

What does the ESPN–DraftKings partnership include?

DraftKings’ role took effect December 1, 2025. The companies announced a staged integration: DraftKings said products would begin integrating in December 2025, with a full rollout expected in 2026. On March 6, 2026, DraftKings described ESPN account linking and personalized, bracket-linked betting features as upcoming, saying additional details would follow closer to launch. Those statements describe announced plans, not a guarantee that every feature is available now. Check current ESPN and DraftKings product information for what is live.

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DraftKings executive Mike Morrison called account linking a source of personalization; that is the company’s stated rationale, not an independently established comparison with competitors. DraftKings’ March 6, 2026 investor announcement gives the details it had announced at that time.

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Why did ESPN and PENN end their agreement?

The companies announced a mutual early termination. PENN said it planned to refocus its digital strategy on iCasino while retaining omnichannel advantages; the public announcement does not establish a more specific independent cause for the split. PENN CEO and President Jay Snowden said the companies had “mutually and amicably agreed to wind down our collaboration,” while ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro described DraftKings as a way to build on the existing foundation.

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The original 2023 arrangement was commercial: ESPN said PENN paid $150 million annually in cash, in addition to warrants, for media and marketing services and exclusive U.S. online-sports-betting trademark rights. That is ESPN’s description of the contract terms, not an independent valuation of the deal. PENN’s November 6, 2025 SEC filing also disclosed $38.1 million in Q4 2025 for fees owed through termination and a further $5 million after termination for traditional media supporting theScore Bet and/or Hollywood iCasino.

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What should former ESPN BET users do?

  1. Look for theScore Bet, not DraftKings. PENN’s sportsbook took theScore Bet name on December 1, 2025.
  2. Use theScore Bet support for account-specific issues. ESPN’s transition page said balances stayed in the rebranded app, but it is dated transition guidance, not a substitute for current account support.
  3. Check local eligibility and availability. Sportsbook access depends on jurisdiction and legal eligibility; consult the operator and relevant regulator for current rules where you live.
  4. Treat ESPN and DraftKings account linking as a separate feature. Do not assume that a future or available ESPN integration transfers theScore Bet balances or account history to DraftKings.

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