Caesars, DraftKings ink ESPN deals; AGA intros new betting marketing code

Sports broadcaster ESPN continues to deepen its ties to sports betting while the US gaming lobby tries to impose a little restraint on its operators’ marketing efforts.

On Sunday, the first weekend of the NFL’s 2020 season, ESPN announced the debut of Bet, a new half-hour betting-focused program hosted by Joe Fortenbaugh and Tyler Fulghum. The show, which is produced out of ESPN’s new studio at Caesars Entertainment’s Linq casino in Las Vegas, will stream three nights on ESPN’s digital platforms.

Those platforms now include the ESPN Sports Betting YouTube channel, which is also making its debut on Monday. In addition to the new Bet program, the channel will feature segments from ESPN’s Daily Wager, SportsCenter and other shows.

ESPN also announced a pair of ‘exclusive’ deals with gambling operators Caesars and DraftKings. The multi-year Caesars deal calls for ‘link integrations’ to apps from Caesars’ sports betting provider William Hill US through ESPN.com, mobile web and the ESPN Fantasy app. ‘Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill’ will also sponsor ESPN’s Fantasy products, “deepening an integration as ESPN’s exclusive odds provider.”