The business affiliate partner of the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) has officially announced a partnership with PENN Entertainment.
The new partnership between PENN Entertainment and MLB Players Inc. (MBLPI) will allow both American ESPN Bet and Canadian theScoreBet to use MLB player names, images, and likenesses on their sports betting platforms and for marketing and retail campaigns. The deal also includes PENN ‘s retail sportsbook operations, with the company operating 32 retail sportsbooks across its portfolio of casino properties, featuring 19 under the ESPN BET brand.
“By integrating MLB player rights into PENN Entertainment’s platforms this partnership brings fans closer to the game while unlocking new business opportunities in sports betting,” said Frank Arthofer, President of OneTeam Partners, in a public press statement. “It highlights the growing influence of players in shaping premium, fan-focused betting experiences while enhancing player NIL rights and widening distribution.”
High aspirations for PENN Entertainment
This comes after a difficult period for ESPN Bet, where it’s struggled to achieve the same as major competitors like DraftKings and FanDuel. PENN Entertainment aimed to take hold of 20% of the sports betting market by 2027. Two years out from that deadline, the goal has now been revised to just 5% by the end of 2025, marking a shift in the company’s goals.
This collaboration with the MLBA is surely part of the hope of turning the situation around. Otherwise, rumors have been swirling that PENN might be looking for a way out of the 10-year and $2 billion deal, first signed back in 2023.
“Partnering with MLB Players Inc. strengthens our connection to the league and its star players and creates additional opportunities to engage fans throughout the season,” said Jason Birney, PENN’s VP of Operations.
This isn’t the first partnership of its kind for the MLBA, with the business arm signing a similar deal with Fanatics Sportsbook in October 2024. The MLBPI has been known to take use of likenesses outside of such contracts seriously, levelling lawsuits against bet365, DraftKings, FanDuel, and Underdog Fantasy for alleged unauthorized use of player names and likenesses in September, 2024.
