ESPN BET Lands PGA Championship Sponsorship Deal

The upcoming PGA Championship golf tournament at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky., has an official sports betting partner. On Tuesday, ESPN BET was announced as that partner, making the PGA Championship the first of the four annual major golf championships to have such a partnership in place. Golf majors always bring additional action to our best sports betting sites.

PENN Entertainment's ESPN BET brand effectively furthered the mainstreaming and overall acceptance of the relationship between the sport and betting. The deal will run through the 2025 tournament in North Carolina and the 2026 tournament in Pennsylvania. ESPN BET has a presence in both the North Carolina sports betting and Pennsylvania sports betting scenes.

“We’re pleased to be the PGA of America’s first ever gaming partner and align ESPN BET with this prestigious men’s golf major,” Jason Birney, vice president of operations for PENN Interactive, said in a press release. “We look forward to accessing highly engaging touch points to bring ESPN BET onto the course and into the PGA Championship broadcast on ESPN.”

PENN Entertainment gets a high-profile event to throw its name behind, and the PGA TOUR gets a high-profile sports betting provider to promote the always-exciting tournament. Bettors might want to check out our ESPN BET promo code ahead of the event.

As Jeff Price, the PGA of America’s chief commercial officer, said in a press release, “We are incredibly proud to partner with PENN Entertainment and immerse ESPN BET into the spectator experience throughout the PGA Championship. The added onsite presence of ESPN BET as well as broadcast and content offerings will provide spectators with exciting new ways to enjoy and engage with all of the action during the PGA Championship.”

Expanding the presence

ESPN BET, along with the always strong presence of its namesake, ESPN, at one of golf's signature events, will enjoy other perks thanks to its newfound relationship with the PGA Championship.

The tournament itself will be broadcast on NBC, but ESPN will air at least a portion of each round every day. ESPN will also be live on-site and will provide extensive coverage before, during, and after each of the four rounds. 

ESPN BET odds will feature prominently in its weekend coverage, and the betting angles will be heavily covered on the network throughout the tournament.

ESPN BET will also focus on activating its brand over the weekend with a "Members Lounge" near the 13th green. The top-tier hospitality space will only be open to ESPN BET account holders, new and old, and will boast features such as a virtual reality simulator of that hole.

Timing is everything?

The timing of the PGA Championship/ESPN BET partnership follows a fairly rough week for PENN Entertainment, its wagering brand. Last week, the company released a fairly disappointing quarterly earnings report. 

That report resulted in a commitment to better integrate the ESPN BET offerings through ESPN and all of its media wings. Splashing its name around the PGA Championship venue during such a high-profile event is a good step in that direction.

ESPN BET's announcement also comes on the heels of some criticism by one of its most popular on-air personalities, Pat McAfee, who this week mocked the product for the lack of traction it has gained since launching in 2023.