ESPN Playing Deal Faces Criticisms Of Battle Of Curiosity
Topline
ESPN’s blockbuster $1.5 deal to buy PENN Leisure and use the corporate to launch an ESPN-branded sportsbook has garnered backlash from those that consider the world’s largest sports activities information and knowledge firm entering into playing presents a battle of curiosity.
This September 16, 2013, file picture reveals the ESPN emblem forward of an NFL broadcast. Disney-owned ESPN … [+]
Key Information
ESPN’s deal will take PENN Leisure’s Barstool Sportsbook and rebrand it as ESPN Wager, marking the corporate’s first foray into the burgeoning business of authorized sports activities playing.
In an opinion piece revealed by the Poynter Institute for Media Research, Tom Jones, a former journalist with the Tampa Tribune and the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and a present media columnist, wrote that the deal presents issues over ESPN “sustaining journalistic integrity when masking playing” and “being moral and accountable in coping with these within the viewers who may need playing issues.”
Social media customers had been fast to specific their doubts, together with Eric Meckl who commented on Fb, “Undecided I like a sportsbook being run by a corporation with large potential to affect opinions on sports activities and the way they may guess,” or one consumer on X (previously often known as Twitter) who wrote, “I can not look ahead to this to backfire when Woj or Schefter (two ESPN reporters) give a report on a participant that seems to be inaccurate that adjusts ESPN’s betting traces accordingly.”
CBS Sports activities school soccer author Shehan Jeyarajah additionally commented on the matter, writing on X, “Keep in mind the issues about Shams Charania working for a sports activities ebook and doubtlessly shifting traces along with his reporting? Properly, the World Huge Chief simply made these issues appear like peanuts,” he mentioned, utilizing a nickname for ESPN.
Forbes has reached out to ESPN for remark.
Tangent
Jeyarajah and plenty of different critics pointed to a latest incident involving FanDuel and Charania, a sports activities journalist well-known for breaking unique information, because the form of battle of curiosity they’re involved about. Charania works for each FanDuel and The Athletic. The day of the NBA Draft, in his capability as a basketball author for The Athletic, Charania posted on X that prospect Scoot Henderson “is gaining critical momentum” to be chosen second within the draft by the Charlotte Hornets, bucking weeks of reporting that the Hornets had been interested by Brandon Miller. Charania’s prediction didn’t pan out, because the Hornets chosen Miller as a substitute, however many followers had been fast to level out that Charania’s different employer, FanDuel, presumably benefited financially from folks making bets primarily based on Charania’s report, which seemingly affected the chances. FanDuel denied the accusations saying the corporate “is just not aware about any information that Shams breaks on his platforms.” Charania hasn’t commented publicly on the matter.
Key Background
ESPN has lengthy been a monetary boon for its proprietor Disney, however as folks lower cable and transfer to streaming or the web, ESPN is not seeing the expansion it as soon as did. In July, the corporate introduced layoffs of a few of its most notable figures together with Max Kellerman, Jeff Van Gundy and Ashley Brewer. Disney CEO Bob Iger has even publicly floated promoting the sports activities media property. The take care of PENN Leisure supplies ESPN with the chance for a brand new income stream.
Additional Studying
ESPN’s Surprisingly Large Wager With Penn Leisure (Forbes)
Penn Leisure Sells Barstool Sports activities Again To Founder Dave Portnoy In Deal Rebranding Sportsbook As ESPN BET (Forbes)
Disney Inventory Surges Amid Studies ESPN Plans To Launch Streaming Service (Forbes)
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