The National Hockey League added two official sports betting partners on Wednesday, with one of those being an Ontario operator.
PENN Entertainment has become the latest to partner with the major professional sporting league. The gaming company, which recently unveiled its new ESPN BET sportsbook in the U.S., also offers theScore Bet Ontario Sportsbook to its Canadian customers. Under the terms of the agreement, PENN’s sports betting outlets will now have intellectual property rights and media and marketing integration opportunities within NHL programming, including game broadcasts.
The deal begins immediately and includes the regular season and Stanley Cup playoffs. Premier events such as the Winter Classic, Stadium Series and All-Star Weekend are also included. This season’s All-Star festivities will take place at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto Feb. 1-3.
“Becoming an official partner allows us to more broadly engage hockey fans, develop compelling integrations and uniquely leverage NHL programming,” PENN Interactive Senior Vice President of Marketing and Content Aubrey Levy said of the deal that includes Ontario sports betting. “This is also a key partnership for theScore Bet in Ontario, where the popularity of hockey is unmatched.”
NHL ‘Looks Forward’ To Score Partnership
The NHL already has similar partnerships in place with BetMGM, DraftKings and FanDuel – all of which are also approved to offer online sports betting in Ontario. However, a league official expressed enthusiasm about collaborating with theScore Bet, the gaming side of the hugely popular Canadian sports media platform, which attracts millions of visitors daily.
PENN purchased Toronto-based Score Media and Gaming two years ago for US $2 billion. Last year, theScore Bet launched its proprietary technology stack, which allows for Ontario betting apps operations to be handled in-house. That platform has since been used in the United States for ESPN BET.
“The NHL is younger, faster, and more exciting than ever, and delivers tremendous opportunity for fan engagement and responsible gaming experiences,” NHL Vice President of Business Development Jason Jazayeri said. “We’re looking forward to working with ESPN BET in the U.S. and theScore Bet in Ontario to engage our passionate fan base.”
Besides online sports betting, theScore Bet offers online casino gaming in Canada’s most populous province. This is the latest in a slew of deals for sports betting, iGaming or both since Ontario casino apps and sportsbooks launched in April 2022.
