Penn Entertainment said it would end its 10-year, $1.5bn partnership with ESPN and rebrand its US online sportsbook as theScore Bet, with changes planned by December 2025. ESPN said DraftKings would become its official bookmaker from 1 December, when the standalone ESPN Bet app was due to close.
The changes alter the sportsbook brands and media partnership arrangements available to US betting customers.
Quarter ended 30 September 2026
Quarter ended 30 September 2026
The day’s most important stories, free. One email a day.
SportsGrid is seeking a buyer, citing Front Office Sports. The reported sale effort follows several years of falling revenue and the loss of major sportsbook partnerships.
SportsGrid, a 24-hour sports wagering media network, is reportedly seeking a buyer and is working with investment bank Telos Advisors on a potential sale, according to Front Office Sports. The company has been in discussions with prospective buyers for several months, and one potential leading bidder has emerged, an unidentified source told the publication. The identity of the interested party has not been disclosed.
Fanatics Sportsbook has secured a multi-year, non-exclusive sports betting partnership with the NFL, reportedly ahead of an expected announcement before the season opener. The agreement includes NFL media inventory, hospitality benefits and use of league and team intellectual property; financial terms were not disclosed.
ESPN and DraftKings began a multi-year partnership making DraftKings the network’s official sportsbook and odds provider. ESPN executive Mike Morrison said the companies would integrate DraftKings’ sportsbook, daily fantasy and Pick6 offerings into ESPN’s services, with a full rollout planned by 2026.
DraftKings and ESPN plan to introduce account linking before March Madness, enabling customers to connect the two platforms. ESPN said linked users will receive betting selections informed by their app use, access to a bracket-based betting feature and one free month of ESPN Unlimited.
Missouri launched legal sports betting on 1 December, with eight brands opening in the state. DraftKings and Circa Sports hold independent licences, while other operators partnered with teams or casinos; ESPN Bet ended operations as PENN shifted its US betting business to theScore Bet.