The American gambling industry could finally be set to welcome a sleeping giant into its ranks after Disney CEO Bob Chapek gave the clearest sign yet that a transition could be on the horizon.
Disney—which owns U.S. sports broadcasting giant ESPN—has long been linked with the possibility of dipping its toes into gambling waters, but the rumours have so far fallen short.
Until now, perhaps, as ESPN continues to streamline much of its sports content in line with the rise in betting hype, with odds and stats often included during coverage.
“We have found that basically our sports fans that are under 30 absolutely require this type of utility in the overall portfolio of what ESPN offers,” said Chapek on a recent video call. “So we think it’s important. We’re working hard on it, and we hope to have something to announce in the future in terms of a partnership there that will allow us to access that revenue stream.”
