Penn Entertainment’s stock took a hit last week after ESPN Bet’s performance fell well below expectations.
And that has since sparked criticism and made it difficult for Pat McAfee to promote the platform.
But after last week’s news cycle, Penn Entertainment announced Tuesday a multi-year deal with the PGA of America, making ESPN Bet the official sports betting sponsor of the PGA Championship through 2026.
The announcement comes just over a week before this year’s PGA Championship, which will be held at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, from May 16 to 19.
According to ESPN’s press release, this agreement marks a significant milestone for the PGA Championship, as it becomes the first men’s golf major to establish an official sports betting sponsor. ESPN Bet will serve as the PGA Championships’ official betting sponsor for at least the next few years of the annual golf tournament.
“We are incredibly proud to partner with PENN Entertainment and immerse ESPN BET into the spectator experience throughout the PGA Championship,” said Jeff Price, PGA of America’s Chief Commercial Officer. “The added onsite presence of ESPN BET, as well as broadcast and content offerings, will provide spectators with exciting new ways to enjoy and engage with all of the action during the PGA Championship.”
“We’re pleased to be the PGA of America’s first-ever gaming partner and align ESPN BET with this prestigious men’s golf major,” said Jason Birney, Vice President of Operations at PENN Interactive. We look forward to accessing highly engaging touchpoints to bring ESPN BET onto the course and into the PGA Championship broadcast on ESPN. With the PGA Championship set to take place in states where ESPN BET operates through 2026, this partnership provides us with a great opportunity to interact with and engage golf fans.”
The release also states the ’24 PGA Championship will feature an ESPN BET Members Lounge adjacent to the green on the par-4 13th hole. Here’s more details on that:
The ESPN BET Members Lounge is a premium hospitality space available only to ESPN BET account holders. The lounge offers views of Valhalla’s newly renovated signature 13th green and includes a variety of amenities including beverages, covered seating, a VR simulator of the 13th hole, special ESPN BET offers for patrons on site, and more. Additional consumer-facing activities will also take place in the lounge throughout the week.
There are also more details from the press release on how ESPN Bet will be integrated into broadcasts:
In addition to activating onsite at the Championship, ESPN BET will be integrated into broadcasts on ESPN networks, with betting odds and insights provided to enhance storytelling within the Championship. The sponsorship also includes opportunities for collaborative content across PGA of America digital media platforms. In the leadup to the Championship, ESPN BET will offer specially curated PGA Championship betting offers prior to and during all four rounds of competition.
This partnership positions ESPN Bet to become a major player in golf betting. And it’ll be interesting to see how it unfolds over the next few PGA Championships.
[ESPN PR]
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.