On May 14, 2019, ESPN announced a media content partnership with Caesars Entertainment. Similar to Caesars’ deal with Bleacher Report, its LINQ Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas will host a brand new ESPN-branded studio, where they will produce sports-betting-themed content and contribute to ESPN’s Daily Wager show.
In addition to the studio, Caesars will serve as ESPN’s official odds data supplier throughout its platform. Per ESPN’s Vice President of Business Development Mike Morrison, “[w]e are poised to expand our coverage in a big way and working with a category leader like Caesars Entertainment will help us serve these highly engaged, diverse sports fans with the best and most relevant content possible.”
Perhaps by convenient coincidence, this agreement announcement comes on the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s monumental decision to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 and provide states the opportunity to legalize sports betting. According to the American Gaming Association, the nation has legally wagered nearly $8 billion on sports over the span of the year.
The much-anticipated ESPN studio is set to launch in 2020.