TheScore founders to depart PENN following platform migration completion
John Levy, Benjie Levy, Aubrey Levy, and Noah Levy to exit US operator as it is confirmed search for new head of interactive arm nearing its end
Four members of the Levy family, the founders of North American sports media brand theScore, will depart PENN Entertainment by the end of April as part of a planned transition period.
John Levy, Benjie Levy, Aubrey Levy, and Noah Levy will all leave the Nasdaq-listed US operator, which they have been part of since PENN – then known as Penn National Gaming – acquired theScore for $2bn in October 2021.
TheScore, a sports betting and media business based out of Toronto, was launched in 2012 and went on to become North America’s leading app for live sports scores and results.
Following the acquisition, Benjie Levy became head of PENN Interactive, the group’s online arm, while John Levy was named executive chair of theScore.
Benjie also retained his position as theScore’s chief operating officer and president.
Noah Levy continued to serve as SVP of product management for the brand while Aubrey Levy remained SVP of content and marketing.
As part of the acquisition, PENN took ownership of theScore sportsbook brand, which had launched in the US in 2019, but ultimately failed to make a dent in the market and was withdrawn from the US in 2022.
PENN launched theScore Bet in Ontario following the province’s regulation of commercial online sports betting and igaming in April 2022.
In the interim, PENN debuted the Barstool Sportsbook in 2020 after acquiring a 36% stake in sports media brand Barstool Sports for $163m. This was later increased to 100% when PENN acquired the remaining stake in Barstool Sports for $388m.
However, PENN began transitioning to a proprietary tech stack following the launch of Barstool Sportsbook, with full migration completing in July 2023.
The relationship with Barstool has since come to an end as the brand was sold back to founder Dave Portnoy for $1, while PENN launched ESPN Bet in November after penning a $1.5bn licensing deal over 10 years with the Disney-owned sports broadcasting giant.
Management cited the migration of the tech stack to the proprietary platform and theScore’s “record results” as core reasons for the Levy family’s exit.
John Levy will depart next month, while Benjie Levy, Aubrey Levy, and Noah Levy are all set to leave the group in April.
PENN confirmed the company was in the “final stages” of the search for a new head of interactive.
Jay Snowden, PENN Entertainment CEO, said the exit of the Levy family was a “natural inflection point” for the business.
Snowden said: “The Levys are a family of successful entrepreneurs and are truly pioneers in the sports media and gaming industry.
“I am very proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish with them, including the development of an extremely deep and talented bench at PENN Interactive.
“With this experienced, best-in-class team firmly in place, we are well prepared for this to be a seamless transition and to continue growing our position as a leader in online gaming and sports media,” he added.
Meanwhile, Benjie Levy remarked: “We could not be more proud of this team and what we have accomplished together, and we look forward to watching as they continue to build upon the successful foundation we established at theScore.”