ESPN unveils new ESPN Bet brand ahead of November launch
PENN-powered app branding to feature across digital, social media, and programming channels
Official logos and branding for the PENN Entertainment-powered ESPN Bet sportsbook has been unveiled by US sports broadcaster ESPN.
The brand, billed by ESPN as a “custom content identity” will feature across ESPN’s networks including in-app advertising, digital, social media, and television programming.
“The brand itself features the universally recognizable ‘ESPN,’name, while the sportsbook app will be branded an ‘E’ inside the ‘B,’ which creatively expresses the idea that ESPN, in partnership with PENN Entertainment, is launching a sportsbook for fans but at its core is still ESPN, the most trusted brand in sports,” ESPN said in a release confirming the brand.
The broadcaster has also revealed that the mint-green color utilized in the logo was deliberately chosen to be “welcoming, inclusive, unexpected, and fun” as it looks to attract bettors and gain market share to challenge betting heavyweights FanDuel and DraftKings.
A secondary simplified version of the logo features the trademark ESPN ‘E’ inside of a ‘B’, symbolising the bet element of the sportsbook brand.
In comments reported by sports media company Action Network, ESPN Creative Studio vice-president of visual storytelling Chin Wang recounted the thinking behind the new brand identity.
“The mint color is a twist on the traditional ESPN colorways, but one we think complements the overall portfolio well,” Wang said.
“ESPN Red is strong, standard-bearer; ESPN+ Gold is premium storytelling, exclusive; and now we have ESPN BET Mint, which is fun and innovative – two traits we expect to come through when fans experience the new sportsbook,” he added.
The ESPN Bet brand will officially launch in November, capping a five-month development period which began after ESPN and PENN Entertainment concluded a 10-year $1.5bn brand licensing agreement in August.
PENN’s agreement with ESPN includes early termination rights after the third year of the partnership should the brand be unable to penetrate and resonate with US sports bettors.
The deal provides four annual cash payments by PENN of $150m, with these payments covering a comprehensive suite of marketing services and the exclusive right to use the ESPN Bet trademark.
Estimates released by PENN at the G2E Las Vegas conference have cited a potential untapped market of 70 million casual bettors who may be lured to the ESPN Bet brand, with the wider ESPN network being accessed by 200 million US users per month.
PENN has also confirmed a broad suite of platform integrations with ESPN including a so-called odds “six pack” of easily accessible betting markets as well as personalized content and modules based on bets placed, customized notifications, and bet tracking.
The ESPN Bet product will also feature same-game parlay betting, micro-betting, player props, shareable bet slips as well as other payments and cashout features.
PENN has said it will pursue an approach similar to that used in its theScore bet brand in Ontario, where it integrated the brand into a wider media-facing sports betting ecosystem.