PENN Entertainment and ESPN agreed to end their online betting partnership, with PENN planning to relaunch theScore Bet in the US. PENN said the ESPN Bet app would be phased out on 1 December; the companies had entered a 10-year agreement in 2023, with provisions allowing an earlier exit.
The agreement’s termination changes PENN’s US sportsbook brand and ends its commercial relationship with ESPN.
Quarter ended 30 September 2026
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ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said the network remains positive about its partnership with Penn Entertainment and that ESPN Bet is growing. He said the sportsbook needs to build market share and pointed to planned ESPN app enhancements that will integrate betting more deeply, including during live games.
Penn Entertainment announced staff cuts at theScore in Toronto, with media reports putting the total at 75–100, about half the newsroom. Penn said the changes reflect the development of its digital business; former employees posted that they had been laid off.
HG Vora estimated that Penn Entertainment had destroyed $11bn in shareholder value since 2021 through its focus on online sports betting, according to the investment firm’s presentation. It cited Penn’s Barstool Sports and theScore acquisitions and its ESPN agreement, and is seeking to place three candidates on Penn’s board.
theScore founder John Levy criticised Penn Entertainment’s handling of its transition after acquiring theScore, speaking at the NEXT Summit on 18 March. Levy said Penn should have trusted the team behind the business more; his comments come as Penn’s 10-year ESPN Bet agreement could face an exit option in 2026, which chief executive Jay Snowden addressed in late February.
Penn Entertainment relaunched theScore Bet in the US on 1 December, replacing ESPN Bet after the companies ended their agreement in November 2025. The sportsbook is available in 21 jurisdictions, including Missouri, where sports betting began at the same time. Penn said customers can use their existing ESPN Bet credentials, with account details and open wagers transferred.