Posted on: November 26, 2023, 01:42h.
Final up to date on: November 26, 2023, 01:42h.
ESPN Guess debuted at varied instances in 17 states on Nov. 14. The cell sportsbook skilled a lot curiosity from bettors, as gaming analysts challenge that the sports activities betting app was downloaded multiple million instances throughout its first week in existence.
Analysts with JMP Securities within the firm’s fairness analysis division report that ESPN Guess downloads numbered over 1.1 million between Nov. 14 via Nov. 20.
The rollout simply set a brand new report for many sportsbook software downloads in a product’s first week, because the earlier finest mark was roughly 468,000 downloads for FanDuel throughout final yr’s Tremendous Bowl. The NFL title recreation on Feb. 13, 2022, coincided with the launch of on-line sports activities betting in New York.
JMP Securities analysts targeted on gaming, on-line gaming, and gaming know-how stated ESPN Guess accounted for about seven in 10 sports activities betting app downloads final week. FanDuel was a distant second with about 10% of the sports activities betting downloads.
Apple’s App Retailer confirmed that ESPN Guess was its most downloaded app on the iOS platform final week. It outranked different main apps, together with BigFuture Faculty, Temu: Store Like a Billionaire, and ChatGPT. There are at present 1.8 million apps out there for obtain within the App Retailer.
Advertising Blitz
ESPN is closely advertising and marketing the sportsbook app, which is owned and operated by Penn Leisure, throughout its tv programming and social media messaging. In alternate for Penn directing $1.5 billion to the sports activities programming community for its model utilization, ESPN is incorporating the sportsbook into its content material.
ESPN Guess commercials have been working throughout “SportsCenter” and in addition aired throughout “Monday Evening Soccer’s” recreation between the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles in what was a Tremendous Bowl LVII rematch.
ESPN Guess can also be now powering the chances on ESPN’s programming and web site. These odds had been beforehand equipped by Caesars Sportsbook.
Penn’s Massive Guess
The ESPN Guess app is the rebranded sportsbook app for Penn Leisure. The Hollywood on line casino operator in August introduced it was folding on its Barstool Sports activities and Barstool Sportsbook possession, with ongoing regulatory considerations concerning Barstool founder Dave Portnoy being the corporate’s major cause for the enterprise determination.
Penn bought Barstool again to Portnoy for simply $1 after simply years earlier paying upwards of $500 million for the social media and popular culture group. Penn then agreed to pay ESPN $1.5 billion for the rights to make use of the sports activities media model in its sports activities betting operations.
The 17 states the place ESPN Guess debuted final week had been the place the Barstool Sportsbook app was licensed. They embody Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
The ESPN Guess report from JMP Securities defined that the 1.1 million downloads included automated downloads for Barstool Sportsbook’s earlier customers.
Gaming analysts say how the sportsbook app fares over the approaching weeks and months will probably be a greater inform into whether or not ESPN Guess has the power to compete with the sports activities betting leaders. They at present are DraftKings with a forty five% market share, FanDuel at 32%, and BetMGM at 10%.