The biggest brand in American sports broadcasting graduating from covering gambling to promoting it is an about-face for Iger and a major step towards the mainstream for an activity that is now legal and operational in some form in 34 states and Washington DC – though not in the three most populous states, California, Texas and Florida (where the situation is fluid).
Last week the Disney-owned sports network ESPN announced a $2bn deal with a gaming company, Penn Entertainment, that will see the launch this autumn of a sportsbook called ESPN Bet. Much has changed since, as cord-cutting continues to assail traditional television while sports betting in the US explodes in popularity in the wake of a 2018 supreme court ruling that lets states decide on legalisation. Disney even spent over $20m in 2018 lobbying to make it harder to build casinos in Florida, the home of Disney World.
