Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Officer Bob Chapek has stated that ESPN and sports betting opportunities are critical to his overall vision for the company.
According to reports, Chapek has said that he wants more direct connections to consumers and that includes wagering on sports as the US legal sports betting landscape continues to evolve. He admitted that this was the main reason why Disney has chosen to keep hold of ESPN despite as many as 100 inquiries from interested parties that wanted to acquire the brand.
Speaking in an interview at Disney’s D23 fan event in Anaheim, California, Chapek said:
“Sports betting is a part of what our younger, say, under-35 sports audience is telling us they want as part of their sports lifestyle.”
Chapek also answered a question on the development of an ESPN sports-betting app, saying:
“We’re working very hard on that.”
Chapek’s latest interview reaffirms his comments from last year when he said:
“We have some concerns as a company about our ability to get in (gambling) without having a brand withdrawal, but I can tell you that given all the research that we’ve done recently that that is not the case. It actually strengthens the brand of ESPN when you have a betting component, and it has no impact on the Disney brand.”
The news comes as something of a surprise given the company’s long-standing opposition to gambling. Disney has previously lobbied against all forms of legal gambling in areas nearby any of its resorts. Disney had even gone so far as to block access to its own ESPN brand for visitors who were in its Disney resorts, informing guests that ESPN was gambling content. This was despite the fact that the ESPN had no gambling information at that time.
Meanwhile the company’s cruise line does not have any casinos or gambling machines unlike the vast majority of cruise ships currently in operation. And when Disney acquired FOX, it attempted to pull out of a deal for a FOX-themed park in a Malaysian casino resort.
Although Chapek made it clear that sports betting is an integral part of ESPN’s future, no firm timeline has been given on a launch date for its mobile sports betting app.
Image credit: Walt Disney Television / CC BY-ND 2.0
An experienced iGaming commentator and analyst based in New York City - Jenny reports on regulation and gambling industry news and events.