Penn Entertainment‘s ESPN Bet app ranked lower than some sports betting brands running on Penn’s former tech partner Kambi, according to the latest analysis from Eilers & Krejcik.
ESPN Bet was ranked 11th in the report, which tests, scores and ranks US sportsbook apps. That is behind BetRivers at No. 8 and Ohio-exclusive betJACK at No. 10.
PENN switched from Kambi over the MLB All-Star break last July, paying $12.5 million in an early termination fee and another $15 million for Kambi’s help in the transition. The two recently extended that transition period for in-person sports betting at regional Penn casinos.
Whether or not the move made financial sense for Penn is still not clear. The company has now spent more on marketing than guided in both quarters ESPN Bet has been live as it is once again in the launch phase of sports betting.
A new sports betting No. 3
New to the podium this half is bet365, which ranked third behind FanDuel and DraftKings, respectively.
The last time the brand ranked so high was in 2021.
The fast loading speeds and depth of markets led to the rank, according to the report.
BetMGM live in the Netherlands
BetMGM is live in its second international market after launching in the Netherlands Tuesday.
MGM launched the BetMGM brand in the United Kingdom last August.
Both international sportsbooks are operating on LeoVegas‘ proprietary technology.
Churchill Downs, NBC extend deal
The Kentucky Derby will remain on NBC for at least the next seven years.
Churchill Downs, which has partnered with NBC since 2001, announced the extension through 2032 just hours before the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby.
NBC’s streaming service, Peacock, will also stream the event.
Sportradar hires chief AI officer
Sportradar is adding some AI proficiency to its C-suite.
Behshad Behzad joined the company on May 1 as technology officer and chief artificial intelligence officer.
Behzadi was the co-founder of “Google Assistant, Google Lens, Google Smart Display and the Next Gen Assistant, a breakthrough in mobile assistant technology with on-device Machine Learning,” according to the release.
Sporttrade live in Iowa
Sporttrade is live in Iowa through a partnership with Wild Rose Clinton.
This marks the third state launch for Sporttrade. The brand is also live in Colorado and New Jersey.
Social sports betting app raises $1 million
Kutt, which calls itself the leading social betting platform, raised $1 million in the first quarter.
The app also reached 10,000 users.
Kutt is a P2P betting platform that takes a cut of head-to-head wagers set between users that is “legal in ~40 states.”
