PENN Entertainment’s theScore Bet has secured rights to use NFL trademarks in Canada through a new multiyear partnership with the league.
The agreement covers both sports betting and online casino gaming, allowing Penn to incorporate NFL branding across theScore Bet, theScore Casino and Hollywood Casino.
Canada now has two regulated online gambling markets after July saw the launch of Alberta online casinos and sportsbooks.
Details on NFL, theScore Bet deal
The agreement authorizes use of trademarks including NFL Kickoff, NFL Draft and the Super Bowl across Penn’s online gambling platforms in Alberta and Ontario.
Penn also gains access to NFL Canada digital media and database marketing opportunities.
“The NFL has an incredibly passionate following in Canada, and this partnership gives us new ways to serve those fans throughout the football season,” said Justin Hergianto, VP of marketing for PENN Interactive. “With theScore Bet live in Ontario and Alberta and theScore already a daily destination for millions of Canadian sports fans, we’re in a unique position to connect sports media and betting with the NFL experiences fans care about.”
The partnership links the league with one of the country’s most-established operators, Gavin Kemp, GM of NFL Canada, said.
“theScore Bet is one of the most recognizable and trusted brands in Canada, with a proven track record of connecting with passionate sports fans,” Kemp said. “This partnership reflects our shared commitment to innovation and delivering exciting new ways for Canadians to engage with the NFL. We look forward to working together to create meaningful experiences for fans in Canada.”
Penn remains focused on iGaming
The partnership comes as Penn prioritizes standalone online casino growth after ending its ESPN Bet partnership with Disney last year.
“We’re going to continue to focus on growing casino,” Chief Technology Officer Aaron LaBerge said on the company’s Q2 earnings call. “Clearly, standalone is on a hot growth path. We’re going to lean into that. Casino, in general, has very attractive CACs, customer acquisition costs, so we’re exploiting that currently.”
CEO Jay Snowden is optimistic about the company’s early performance in Alberta.
“Early results from a handle perspective, even though it’s a slow sports calendar, are very encouraging,” Snowden said. “We anticipate to be very aggressive, and we hope to have the same and similar market shares to what we enjoy in Ontario. That’s the focus, and it’s looking good so far.”
