ESPN BET tops one million downloads in first week, more than doubling prior record

Saturday, November 25, 2023 5:41 PM
  • Matt Rybaltowski, Sports Handle

Tempted by several leaks that teased last Tuesday’s launch of ESPN BET, invigorated bettors lined up just before 3 p.m. ET in the App Store to receive their first view of the new sports betting app.

Bettors had to wait approximately 40 minutes before PENN rolled out its ESPN-branded app around 3:40 p.m., several hours before the tip of Duke-Michigan State in college basketball. In a transformative week for the U.S. sports betting market, the minor hangup did not quell enthusiasm for the highly anticipated launch.

Over a six-day period through Nov. 20, ESPN BET was downloaded 1.1 million times, according to JMP Securities, which cited data from digital intelligence firm Sensor Tower.