ESPN and DraftKings are taking their relationship to the next level.
The sports and sports betting giants are stepping up their partnership by rolling out a feature that allows users of the respective platforms to link their accounts together, a move ESPN said is intended to offer customers a more personalized and intuitive experience on either app.
The account-linking functionality will debut in time for March Madness later this month.
ESPN previously pursued an integrated experience with its flagship sports app and its branded ESPN Bet app, first launching that capability back in November 2024 and sprucing it up over the following year with features such as a personalized FanCenter betting hub.
It will now follow a similar strategy with one of the nation’s two leading online betting giants. DraftKings took over as ESPN’s official sports betting provider in December after the abandonment of the ESPN Bet joint venture between Disney and PENN Entertainment.
Customized content and exclusive features
ESPN and DraftKings officially launched their new partnership on Dec. 1, the same day on which the Boston-based gaming giant went live in the brand-new Missouri betting market and also the same day on which PENN’s sportsbook rebranded from ESPN Bet to theScore Bet.
Since taking over from ESPN Bet in the partnership, DraftKings has been providing integrated odds into ESPN’s daily broadcasts and began offering its users exclusive parlays branded around ESPN programming, such as First Take and NFL Live. DraftKings also now provides the odds for the PGA Tour’s expanded Live BetCast stream on ESPN.
Now, ESPN said in a release that customers who link their accounts will see more personalized betting selections in DraftKings’ sportsbook app based on their ESPN app usage, and will also get one free month of ESPN Unlimited as an initial perk.
The account linking will also offer exclusive features such as the new Bet Your Bracket offering for March Madness. Fans who created a bracket in the ESPN Tournament Challenge will automatically gain access to a personalized betting experience for the NCAA tournaments, including bets aligned with their bracket picks and tailored suggestions.
DraftKings and ESPN will continue to expand the features beyond March Madness.
“The Bet Your Bracket feature during March Madness is just the start,” said ESPN Vice President of Betting and Fantasy Mike Morrison. “Soon, fans will be able to seamlessly track upcoming, live and settled bets within the ESPN app and on ESPN.com, and receive bets and timely promotions based on their favorite sports, teams, players, and fantasy rosters.”
ESPN cites DraftKings Predictions opportunity
Days after DraftKings detailed plans for a new “Super App” that will offer sports betting, casino, Jackpocket-powered lottery and DraftKings Predictions all in one place (with varying availability by location), the ESPN release said that the account-linking upgrade takes the brands’ partnership beyond a traditional marketing deal and further indicates DraftKings’ “forward-thinking approach” to gaming.
ESPN cited DraftKings Predictions by name in that comment, noting that fans and ESPN consumers in states where DraftKings cannot legally offer state-regulated sports betting, like California, Florida, and Texas, can now “participate in marquee sports events” like March Madness. On the betting front, that is possible thanks to DraftKings offering sports event contracts from CME Group and Crypto.com.
The exact timelines for the respective launches of the all-in-one DraftKings Sports & Casino app and the account linking capabilities have not been confirmed. But DraftKings executives referred to a debut before March Madness in their Investor Day announcement on Monday, and it seems that the rollouts could dovetail together.
“As we work toward bringing the full DraftKings sports experience together nationwide through our upcoming Super App, DraftKings Sports & Casino, integrating account linking with ESPN is a natural step in creating a more seamless, connected platform for fans,” said DraftKings Chief Marketing Officer Stephanie Sherman in a statement.
