US sports betting operator BetMGM has appointed ESPN executive Ryan Spoon as its new chief operating officer.
Based in the BetMGM headquarters in New Jersey, Spoon is scheduled to start his new role in November and will be tasked with elevating content and expanding audiences for social and digital platforms.
He has worked for ESPN for the past eight years, most recently as senior vice president of social & digital content and prior to that as SVP of digital product and design. In those capacities, Spoon helped build, operate and grow ESPN.com, the ESPN App, ESPN Fantasy, including ESPN Fantasy Football, and ESPN Social.
“BetMGM has seen early success in establishing itself as a significant player in the sports betting world through relationships with leagues, teams and partners,” said BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt. “With Ryan’s expertise in developing scaled and engaging digital experiences, BetMGM will leverage those relationships in entirely new ways.”
Commenting on his role, Spoon said: “The opportunity at BetMGM during these early phases was an immediate draw for me. With the incredible assets of MGM Resorts, GVC’s industry-leading technology, and the many league, team and platform partners, BetMGM is uniquely positioned in the market and I am excited to help drive future growth.”
BetMGM’s app is currently live in six US states and expects to launch in further states as state legislation allows.
Shares in GVC Holdings plc (LSE:GVC) were high by 1.24 per cent at 1,003.50 pence per share in London earlier Tuesday, while shares in MGM Resorts International (NSQ:MGM) were trading down 0.72 per cent at $21.97 in early trading in New York.