DraftKings shares jumped 5% in pre-market trading on Friday after reports surfaced that the sports betting operator is close to landing a substantial exclusive partnership with ESPN.
The reports come several weeks after Disney CEO Bob Chapek indicated that ESPN needed to latch on with a partner to make its much-ballyhooed debut into the U.S. sports betting ecosystem. While ESPN does not plan on launching its own full-fledged sportsbook, the network instead could partner with a third-party sportsbook to make the entry, Chapek told CNBC at the time.
The report from Bloomberg did not specify the details of this potential partnership that could transform the landscape of the sports betting industry.
Disney $DIS owned ESPN is said to be near a large partnership with Draftkings $DKNG, according to Bloomberg. pic.twitter.com/YEKXT5bPzt