Barstool’s Nardini Predicts More Sports Media Firms Will Partner With Betting Firms

The legalization of online sports betting in states across the U.S. has sparked a wave of deal making within the sports betting industry involving both sports leagues and digital media firms. Barstool Sports CEO Erika Nardini predicts more media firms will strike deals, although she says it is the professional sports leagues that hold the most power in the sports betting arena.

“I think that a lot of media companies are seeing a lot of betting dollars floating around and they want a piece of those dollars,” Nardini said at The Information’s Women in Tech, Media and Finance conference Wednesday. In some ways Barstool, which is known for its frank and occasionally controversial content on sports and pop culture, was at the forefront of this trend when betting giant Penn National Gaming took a 36% stake in the firm last year. Penn National uses Barstool’s brand to offer the Barstool Sportsbook at some of its casinos, as well as the Barstool Sportsbook mobile app.