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.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). It is also a sign of turbulent times for media giants in the streaming era.
