Nate Ravitz named head of theScore media by PENN Entertainment in strategic hire

PENN Entertainment has appointed former ESPN executive Nate Ravitz as head of theScore media business in North America. Ravitz will oversee content, advertising, and growth for theScore, PENN Interactive’s flagship media platform.

Ravitz joins PENN following a 17-year career at ESPN, where he most recently served as vice president of digital content and audience expansion, the SBC Americas reported. At ESPN, he led content for the company’s mobile and streaming apps, ESPN.com, and social media channels. Ravitz also previously worked with PENN’s Chief Technology Officer, Aaron LaBerge, during his time at ESPN.

In a LinkedIn post announcing the appointment, Ravitz said, “I’ve long admired what theScore has been able to build and achieve in the incredibly competitive landscape of mobile sports apps," he said. "I couldn’t be more honored to join the team and build on that great legacy. Also happy to once again be teammates with Aaron LaBerge and several other former colleagues. We’re playing to win.”

Toronto-based theScore has evolved from a television-focused operation into a mobile sports content platform, with a growing emphasis on online sports betting via theScore Bet. Following PENN Entertainment’s recent exit from its ESPN Bet joint venture, theScore Bet now serves as PENN’s primary U.S. sports betting brand.

As of December 1, the platform is live in 21 states, marking PENN’s return to the U.S. market three-and-a-half years after previously scaling back operations.

PENN acquired theScore in 2021 for $2 billion and is banking on the Canadian brand to strengthen its U.S. presence after earlier efforts under the Barstool and ESPN brands fell short of expectations.

PENN executives, including CEO Jay Snowden and CTO LaBerge, have emphasized the value of linking sports media consumption with betting activity. TheScore media app boasts more than four million monthly active users, roughly two-thirds of whom are in the U.S. Snowden noted during the company’s November 6 earnings call that relaunching theScore Bet in the U.S. will allow PENN to leverage the connectivity between theScore’s media and betting platforms.