ESPN’s Bold Bet: Will Their Sportsbook Take Over or Backfire Spectacularly?

So here’s the deal—ESPN, the so-called Worldwide Leader in Sports, is about to relaunch its app with some serious upgrades that might just shake up the sports betting scene. Imagine seeing live odds popping up right next to the game you’re watching, with all your bets—past and future—lined up like your personal scoreboard. That’s the new ESPN Bet integration, plus this thing called “FanCenter” which lets you bet on your favorite players and fantasy squads. It’s ESPN’s bold move to snag some turf from the giants FanDuel and DraftKings, who currently dominate with a combined 71% market share. But can ESPN Bet’s underdog 3% share really sprint past these giants before Penn Entertainment pulls the plug in 2026? The clock’s ticking, and ESPN’s NFL partnership might just be the turbo boost needed to keep bettors glued to their screens. So, will this be the clutch play that saves ESPN Bet, or just another risky hail mary? Time will tell—meanwhile, I’m bracing myself for some undoubtedly dumber bets this season. LEARN MORE.

The Worldwide Leader in Sports is beefing up its app and releasing a new version next week. One key feature is the integration of ESPN Bet, displaying live odds alongside users’ upcoming and settled wagers, right next to the events they’re watching, according to Front Office Sports. ESPN will also provide clickable links to take people from its app to its sportsbook. 

“FanCenter” is another upcoming feature of ESPN’s new app, allowing users to bet on their favorite teams and players and fantasy teams. This is ESPN’s latest attempt to eat into FanDuel and DraftKings’ American sports betting dominance. ESPN Bet has a 3% market share in U.S. sports betting, which is significantly behind FanDuel’s 33% and DraftKings’ 38%, per CasinoReports.com. 

This could be Penn Entertainment’s, the operator of ESPN Bet, last-ditch effort to turn a profit on this venture before opting out of its agreement with ESPN in 2026. On an earnings call earlier this year, Penn CEO Jay Snowden said, “You have a three-year clause in that contract that both sides will have to do what’s in their best interests. And so that’s always out there.”

Even though ESPN already promotes its sportsbook heavily on its TV network, this could help ESPN Bet grow. Nothing keeps fans locked into the game like betting, and ESPN is among the leaders in sports entertainment. So, providing an all-in-one experience is ESPN’s best chance of building its sportsbook’s business. 

Whether this move is enough to keep Penn from dumping ESPN is another conversation. However, its new partnership with the NFL will attract more users to ESPN’s app, and the growth of sports betting isn’t slowing. That said, it’s now or never for ESPN Bet, and I’ll make dumber wagers this football season. 

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Follow me on X (or Twitter, whatever) @Geoffery-Clark, and check out my OutKick Bets Podcast for more betting content and random rants.