ESPN Signs Odds Data Deals with William Hill and DraftKings
ESPN, a sports broadcaster, has inked a landmark partnership with Caesars Entertainment and DraftKings. As a result, ESPN will display William Hill sports betting odds and daily fantasy sports stats from DraftKings in a bid to expand its involvement with sports betting.
Already providing solid betting analytics, ESPN will continually post and link to William Hill, which is established in the United States through a strong partnership with Caesars Entertainment.
William Hill runs dedicated sportsbooks for Caesars. The betting brand, that is Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill, will become an official sponsor for ESPN’s fantasy contests. ESPN will link out to odds from DraftKings that cover specifically fantasy betting contests.
Commenting on the partnership, ESPN vice president of business development and innovation Mike Morrison explained that the new agreements with Caesars and DraftKings would up ESPN’s betting expertise significantly. He explained how the move is helping to shape up ESPN as a go-to analytics for sports betting news:
“We began growing the experience through content, followed by odds utilizing William Hill’s sports betting data and a new state-of-the-art studio facility in Las Vegas through our deal with Caesars, and now with the addition of DraftKings, we are bringing together the sports media leader with two of the top brands and best products in the segment.”
ESPN’s Partnerships with DraftKings and William Hill a Welcome Opportunity
The recent move is not ESPN’s first deal with Caesars either. In 2019, the companies signed an agreement for an odds data partnership for both TV and the digital sector. However, following the acquisition of Eldorado Resorts, ESPN will now partner with William Hill for the odds data.
“Caesars’ relationship with ESPN continues to deepen,” said Caesars Entertainment chief executive Tom Reeg. He further added: “ESPN’s unparalleled reach provides a transformational opportunity for sports fans and enthusiasts to engage and wager at their fingertips.”
He didn’t miss to mention the new ESPN Studio opened in partnership with Caesars on the Las Vegas Strip. William Hill’s boss, Ulrik Bengtsson, was equally excited at the opportunity to work with ESPN and saw in a partnership an opportunity for William Hill to accelerate its leadership position in sports betting in the United States.
DraftKings co-founder and CEO, Jason Robins, has expressed his own excitement to be strengthening his ties with ESPN as the media’s “reach among sports fans is unparalleled.” The move was welcomed in ESPN’s camp as well with ESPN SVP of Business Development and Innovation Mark Walker appreciating the opportunity for his company to innovate and deliver a better sports experience to fans.
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