DraftKings and ESPN Introduce Account Linking for Personalized March Madness Betting
SPORTS
MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference Power Players: ESPN and DraftKings Reshape Sports Betting for the Fan with Stephen A. Smith, Jason Robins, Burke Magnus, and Kevin Negandhi. Photo Credit: Jeff Pinette for MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference.
DraftKings Inc. (NASDAQ: DKNG) and ESPN have unveiled details for account linking between DraftKings' sportsbook and ESPN, launching ahead of the March Madness men's and women's tournaments. The collaboration was announced at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference and introduces exclusive features including the new "Bet Your Bracket" offering.
Personalized Betting Experience
Customers who link their DraftKings and ESPN accounts will unlock a more personalized and streamlined experience. The "Bet Your Bracket" feature allows users to load betting odds for picks they submitted in their ESPN Tournament Challenge bracket. DraftKings will tailor suggested betting markets and odds based on individual brackets.
Once live, DraftKings customers can open their Sportsbook app and navigate to the Bet Your Bracket tab to link their ESPN account. After linking, fans who created a bracket in ESPN's Tournament Challenge can access customized wagering suggestions aligned with their tournament picks.
Fans who link their accounts will receive one free month of ESPN Unlimited, ESPN's streaming plan. The account linking launches ahead of March Madness tournaments, which most recently drew the highest viewership in over 30 years.
Strategic Collaboration
Stephanie Sherman, Chief Marketing Officer of DraftKings, explained the strategic fit. "DraftKings and ESPN share a deep passion for sports and a commitment to enhancing how fans engage with the moments that matter most, especially during the pinnacle of the college basketball season," Sherman said.
Sherman noted that integrating account linking with ESPN represents a natural step as DraftKings works toward bringing the full sports experience together nationwide through its upcoming Super App, DraftKings Sports & Casino. The Super App will consolidate sports betting, casino, lottery, and prediction options for customers in legal jurisdictions.
Differentiated Personalization
Mike Morrison, Vice President of ESPN Betting & Fantasy, emphasized the competitive advantage of account linking. "Account linking creates a level of personalization that no one else in the market can match," Morrison said.
Morrison indicated that the Bet Your Bracket feature during March Madness is just the start. Soon fans will be able to seamlessly track upcoming, live, and settled bets within the ESPN app and on ESPN.com. Users will also receive bets and timely promotions based on their favorite sports, teams, players, and fantasy rosters.
Beyond Traditional Marketing
The ESPN and DraftKings account linking reflects a strategic collaboration that goes beyond a traditional marketing arrangement. The partnership redefines how fans engage with sports by creating integrated experiences across platforms.
This forward-thinking approach is emblematic of DraftKings' broader vision, including initiatives like DraftKings Predictions. This platform expands interactive opportunities for fans in states such as California, Florida, and Texas to participate in marquee sports events like March Madness where traditional sports betting is not legally available.
Partnership Evolution
DraftKings became ESPN's official sports betting provider in December 2025 after ESPN and PENN Entertainment walked away from their ESPN BET joint venture. The account linking capability represents the next phase of the DraftKings-ESPN relationship.
ESPN previously pursued an integrated experience with its flagship sports app and its branded ESPN Bet app, launching that capability in November 2024. The company is now following a similar strategy with DraftKings, one of the nation's two leading online betting platforms.
Market Opportunity
According to H2 Gambling Capital, sportsbook handle for March Madness 2026 is projected to hit $4 billion, a 6.7 percent increase from last year's tournament. Continued handle growth plus the launch of regulated sports betting in Missouri are driving factors.
The introduction of prediction markets adds another dimension to the market. H2 Gambling Capital estimated that prediction markets are likely to generate handle equivalent volume of $135-150 million in states where legal sports wagering exists, representing 3.5 percent of total market handle.
Responsible Gaming Commitment
DraftKings and ESPN will continue to collaborate to advance a shared commitment to responsible gaming. Customers can visit rg.draftkings.com for tools and resources. Additional details will be shared closer to launch.
To prepare for March Madness and experience these exclusive upcoming features, eligible customers can download the DraftKings Sportsbook app and the ESPN app. DraftKings is available in multiple states with regulated sports betting, while ESPN's digital platforms reach sports fans nationwide.
Company Background
DraftKings is a digital sports entertainment and gaming company created to fuel the competitive spirit of sports fans with products across daily fantasy, regulated gaming, and digital media. Headquartered in Boston and launched in 2012, DraftKings is the only U.S.-based vertically integrated sports betting operator.
The company's daily fantasy sports product is available in 44 states, Washington D.C., and certain Canadian provinces. DraftKings is an official sports betting and daily fantasy partner of the NFL, NHL, PGA TOUR, WNBA, and UFC, as well as an official daily fantasy partner of NASCAR and authorized gaming operator of MLB.