LAS VEGAS (September 14, 2020) – As announced earlier today, Caesars Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: CZR) has entered into a multi-year agreement with ESPN. The new deal includes link integrations from ESPN’s digital platforms to sportsbooks from Caesars Entertainment’s sports betting partner, William Hill. William Hill Sports Book’s odds and markets connect directly to their sports betting apps in legalized states. The deal comes shortly after William Hill became the exclusive sports betting operator for Caesars Entertainment, following the merger with Eldorado Resorts.
Link integrations to William Hill’s sports betting apps, geo-targeted to legalized sports betting states, will appear on ESPN.com web and mobile web and the ESPN Fantasy app. As part of the new agreement, Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill will also become a sponsor of ESPN’s Fantasy products, deepening an existing relationship as ESPN’s exclusive odds provider. The news follows an expanded content collaboration with ESPN and the recent launch of ESPN’s Las Vegas studio at The LINQ Hotel + Experience.
“ESPN is one of the pre-eminent brands in sports. Tens of millions of fans will now have a direct link to our sports betting apps and odds,” said Ulrik Bengtsson, Group Chief Executive Officer of William Hill. “Giving ESPN users this access will accelerate our leadership, as we continue to expand in the US.”
“As our exclusive sports betting operator, William Hill has added immediate value to Caesars Entertainment’s portfolio of properties nationally,” said Tom Reeg, CEO of Caesars Entertainment, Inc. “Our new agreement with ESPN, as the largest provider in sports content, completes what is sure to be a momentous partnership in gaming and sports wagering.”
“With Caesars utilizing odds from William Hill’s sports betting data, we are able to deliver content in new and innovative ways,” said Mike Morrison, Vice President of Business Development & Innovation, ESPN. “Our multi-dimensional relationship is a testament to the growth and opportunity in the sports betting space.”
Since becoming Caesars Entertainment’s exclusive sports betting partner a month ago, William Hill has opened 12 branded sports books at Caesars’ properties in Nevada, Iowa, and most recently, New Jersey. Pending regulatory approval, the remaining sports books across the Caesars portfolio will be rebranded in the coming weeks. The mobile sports betting app, Caesars Sports Book by William Hill, will soon be available in Indiana, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Nevada pending regulatory approvals. Once completed, William Hill will operate in more than 170 retail locations across 13 states.
About Caesars Entertainment, Inc.
Caesars Entertainment, Inc. is the largest casino-entertainment company in the U.S. and one of the world’s most diversified casino-entertainment providers. Since its beginning in Reno, Nevada, in 1937, Caesars Entertainment has grown through development of new resorts, expansions and acquisitions. Caesars Entertainment’s resorts operate primarily under the Caesars®, Harrah’s®, Horseshoe® and Eldorado® brand names. Caesars Entertainment offers diversified amenities and one-of-a-kind destinations, with a focus on building loyalty and value with its guests through a unique combination of impeccable service, operational excellence and technology leadership. Caesars Entertainment is committed to its employees, suppliers, communities and the environment through its PEOPLE PLANET PLAY framework. For more information, please visit www.caesars.com/corporate.
About William Hill US
William Hill US, part of FTSE-listed William Hill PLC, is America’s #1 Sports Book operator. Established in 2012, the company has expanded from its birthplace of Nevada to operate in more than 150 locations across 12 states, and now takes one in every four sports bets placed in the country. William Hill US currently has operations in The Bahamas, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The company is also the licensed sports betting provider for numerous casinos in Mississippi and New Mexico and is the exclusive risk manager for the Delaware and Rhode Island sports lotteries. Product and technology are core to William Hill’s growth strategy in the US, and it now offers industry-leading betting apps in Colorado, Iowa, Nevada, New Jersey and West Virginia. Continuing the innovative spirit of its founder William Hill, the company opened a sports book in the world-famous Capital One Arena in 2020, becoming the first operator to offer sports wagering inside a US professional sports complex. For more information, visit William Hill US.
About ESPN
ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment enterprise, features more than 50 assets – eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com and the ESPN App, ESPN International, and more. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.
