Gearing up for a November launch, the ESPN Bet logo has drawn attention through teasers on social media and official statements.
The primary logo features ESPN’s iconic white text with its mint green “BET,” aiming to create a “welcoming and fun” atmosphere. The brand’s visual identity is completed by a secondary logo featuring its mint-green “E” nested within an overarching “B”.
In this article, we’ll investigate about about this relatively new addition to the NJ Casinos.
Penn Entertainment Casinos is excited about its forthcoming sportsbook launch with ESPN Bet and logo.
Public statements further confirm their excitement, with Chin Wang, Vice President of Visual Storytelling for ESPN Creative Studio, describing the mint color as a “welcoming twist” that complements ESPN’s traditional colorways. However, not everyone’s on board with the color change. Public perception has voiced concern at ESPN’s decision to abandon its internationally recognizable red and gold color scheme. Chin Wang defends the move, stating:
“ESPN Red is strong, standard-bearer, ESPN+ Gold is premium storytelling, exclusive, and now we have ESPN BET Mint, which is fun and innovative. Two traits we expect to come through when fans experience the new sportsbook.”
Chin Wang, VP of visual storytelling for ESPN Creative Studio
An emerging controversy between ESPN Bet and startup BroThrow is taking hold. According to its official website, BroThrow positions itself as the “Facebook Marketplace of sports betting”. At the same time, it allows users to quickly “throw out” bets to their friends or the wider betting community. Focused on simplifying settlement, they also integrate popular payment apps. Recently, this company was awarded with the Rising Star award at the 2023 SBC Awards North America.
At the center of this disagreement lies visual similarity. While the ESPN Bet logo features a mint-green “BET”, BroThrow stands out with its light green ‘B. CEO Brady Sharp also notes that his company had the logo since its 2019 inception and successfully registered the trademark in March 2022. He mentions how they’ve already begun discussions with IP counsel, noting that “a conversation is the ideal starting point”.
The new ESPN Bet logo is just one step in the process of its imminent ESPN sportsbook launch in New Jersey. Partnering with Penn Entertainment Casinos, the deal between the two is noteworthy. Specifically, it’s a 10-year, $1.5 billion brand licensing agreement. Importantly, the contract includes early termination rights after year three if key performance indicators aren’t met.
At the recent Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas, both parties provided more details. Specifically, PENN and ESPN solidified expectations, confirming an ESPN Bet launch in November.
Pointedly, they exposed an immense untapped market consisting of 70 million casual bettors who remain untapped. Consequently, this large pool could very well become a key customer base for the ESPN sportsbook.
But as ESPN Bet gears up for its New Jersey debut, the logo face-off with BroThrow is like a wildcard on the table. So, the ESPN Bet logo design keeps punters and industry insiders alike holding onto their bets for the time being.
