{{Short description|Canadian media company}} {{Use mdy dates|date = November 2019}} {{Infobox company | name = Score Media and Gaming Inc. | logo = Score TV Network logo.svg | logo_size = 200px| | image = | image_size = | image_caption = Score Media and Gaming's offices in Toronto. | type = Subsidiary | parent = Penn Entertainment (2021-present) | founded = {{start date and age|2012}} | founder = John S. Levy | predecessor = Score Media | hq_location = 125 Queens Quay East | hq_location_city = Toronto, Ontario | hq_location_country = Canada | industry = Media, Gaming | products = Digital media, mobile applications, sports betting | owner = | homepage = {{official URL}} }} '''Score Media and Gaming Inc.''' (formerly '''theScore Inc.''') is a Canadian digital media and gaming company based in Toronto. A subsidiary of Penn Entertainment, it operates the sports news application '''theScore''' and the sportsbook theScore Bet. The company maintains American offices in New York City.
The company was formed in 2012 as a spin-out of Score Media after the sale of its television business (including its specialty channel The Score Television Network, now Sportsnet 360) to Rogers Media.
== History == In 2012, Score Media reached an agreement to sell its Canadian television operations (including its flagship specialty channel The Score) to Rogers Media. The remaining digital assets, including theScore.ca and its mobile apps, were spun off into a new entity known as theScore Inc. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approved the sale of the television business to Rogers in 2013.<ref name="rogers-score">{{cite web |last=Ladurantaye |first=Steve |title=Rogers Communications to acquire Score Media |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/rogers-communications-to-acquire-score-media/article4497481/ |access-date=24 August 2012 |publisher=The Globe and Mail}}</ref><ref name="globeandmail-scoreapproved">{{cite news |title=CRTC clears way for Rogers to buy Score |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/crtc-clears-way-for-rogers-to-buy-score/article11632848/ |access-date=1 May 2013 |newspaper=The Globe and Mail}}</ref><ref name="broadcaster-scoreapproved">{{cite web |title=CRTC Gives Final Approval to Rogers' Acquisition of Score Media |url=http://www.broadcastermagazine.com/news/crtc-approves-rogers-acquisition-of-score-television/1002266380/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203024651/http://www.broadcastermagazine.com/news/crtc-approves-rogers-acquisition-of-score-television/1002266380/ |archive-date=December 3, 2013 |access-date=1 May 2013 |publisher=Broadcaster Magazine}}</ref><ref name="gandmail-scoreease2">{{cite news |title=Rogers wants CRTC to ease Score licence rules |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/rogers-wants-crtc-to-ease-score-licence-rules/article7408509/ |access-date=17 January 2013 |newspaper=The Globe and Mail}}</ref>
The company was spun-out from Score Media immediately prior to Rogers' acquisition. As a result of the transaction, former shareholders of Score Media received one share of the new company for each share held in Score Media, meaning that Score Media founder John Levy and family are the largest single voting shareholders in the company, as was the case with Score Media, though Rogers received additional shares yielding an ownership stake of 11.8%.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Score Media Inc. completes plan of arrangement {{!}} theScore App: The Ultimate, Personalized Mobile Sports Experience |url=https://mobile.thescore.com/2012/10/score-media-inc-completes-plan-of-arrangement/ |access-date=2019-11-13 |website=mobile.thescore.com |language=en-US}}</ref> Rogers subsequently sold its shares in the company in June 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 20, 2016 |title=Are you owned by Rogers Media? |url=http://thescore.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/200262169-Are-you-owned-by-Rogers-Media- |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190428035648/https://thescore.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/200262169-Are-you-owned-by-Rogers-Media- |archive-date=April 28, 2019 |access-date=2019-11-13 |website=theScore |language=en-US}}</ref>
In December 2018, following the legalization of sports betting in the United States via ''Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association'', theScore partnered with Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey to launch its first mobile sportsbook in the United States via a 15-year market access agreement.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cohen |first=Andrew |date=2025-12-22 |title=Digital Media Company theScore Plans Online and Mobile Sportsbook in New Jersey |url=https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2018/12/18/Technology/digital-media-company-thescore-online-sportsbook-new-jersey/ |access-date=2025-12-22 |website=Sports Business Journal |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mann |first=Robert |date=2018-12-18 |title=theScore Set to Launch NJ Sportsbook Through Monmouth Park |url=https://sportshandle.com/thescore-new-jersey-sportsbook-monmouth-park/ |access-date=2025-12-22 |website=SportsHandle |language=en-US}}</ref> The service launched in September 2019 as theScore Bet; the service would focus on integrations with theScore's sports news app.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Booton |first=Jen |date=2025-12-22 |title=theScore’s Winning Formula: Integrating Mobile Betting Platforms Into Sports Media |url=https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2019/12/04/Technology/thescore-fuse-sports-betting-mobile-wagers/ |access-date=2025-12-22 |website=Sports Business Journal |language=en}}</ref>
In July 2019, Penn National Gaming announced a 20-year market access agreement with the company, now known as Score Media and Gaming, in 11 states; as a condition of the deal, subsidiary Penn Interactive Ventures would take a 4.7% equity stake in the company.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rybaltowski |first=Matt |date=2019-08-01 |title=Penn National Lands Market Access Agreements With Major Sportsbooks |url=https://sportshandle.com/penn-national-market-access-deal/ |access-date=2024-08-13 |website=SportsHandle |language=en-US}}</ref>
The company was publicly traded on the TSX Venture Exchange; in September 2020, it moved to the Toronto Stock Exchange.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 14, 2020 |title=Score Media and Gaming gets full listing at TSX |url=https://nationalpost.com/pmn/sports-pmn/score-media-and-gaming-gets-full-listing-at-tsx |newspaper=National Post}}</ref> In October 2021, Penn acquired theScore for $2 billion in a cash and stock deal; the company was subsequently delisted from the Toronto Stock Exchange and Nasdaq.<ref>{{Cite web |date=5 August 2021 |title=Penn National Agrees to Buy TheScore App in $2 Billion Deal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/penn-national-agrees-to-buy-thescore-app-in-2-billion-deal-11628184121 |access-date=20 August 2021 |website=The Wall Street Journal}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |title=Penn National Gaming Completes Acquisition of Score Media and Gaming Inc. |date=October 19, 2021 |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211019005903/en/Penn-National-Gaming-Completes-Acquisition-of-Score-Media-and-Gaming-Inc. |agency=Business Wire}}</ref>
In April 2022, as part of the province's regulated online gambling market, theScore Bet expanded into Canada by launching in Ontario. It would subsequently announce a partnership with the Toronto Blue Jays (which are also owned by Rogers) to become its official gaming partner.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nightingale |first=Tom |date=2022-04-07 |title=theScore Bet becomes exclusive gaming partner of the Toronto Blue Jays |url=https://www.canadiangamingbusiness.com/2022/04/07/thescore-bet-becomes-exclusive-gaming-partner-of-the-toronto-blue-jays/ |access-date=2022-10-13 |website=canadiangamingbusiness |language=en-US}}</ref>
In December 2025, theScore Bet subsumed the customer base of Penn's ESPN Bet (a short-lived licensing partnership with U.S. sports channel ESPN), expanding the brand to 21 U.S. states.<ref>{{Cite web |date=|title=Penn completes betting platform rebrand to theScore Bet|url=https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2025/12/01/penn-completes-betting-platform-rebrand-to-thescore-bet/|access-date=2025-12-22|website=Sports Business Journal|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Rizzo|first=Lillian|date=2025-11-06|title=DraftKings takes over ESPN sports betting partnership from Penn Entertainment|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/06/disneys-espn-penn-entertainment-to-wind-down-espn-bet.html|access-date=2025-11-06|website=CNBC|language=en}}</ref> In April 2026, Score Media and Gaming received approval from the province of Alberta to participate in its regulated online gambling market.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-04-23|title=theScore Bet Approved to Offer Betting and Casino in Alberta|url=https://www.canadiangamingbusiness.com/2026/04/23/thescore-bet-approved-alberta/|access-date=2026-05-05|website=Canadian Gaming Business|language=en-US}}</ref>
== Leadership == The executive chairman of theScore is its founder, John Levy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=John Levy |url=https://www.scoremediaandgaming.com/leadership-team/john-levy/ |access-date=2023-10-25 |website=Score Media and Gaming Inc.}}</ref> The president and chief operating officer of theScore is Benjie Levy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Benjie Levy |url=https://www.scoremediaandgaming.com/leadership-team/benjie-levy/ |access-date=2023-10-25 |website=Score Media and Gaming Inc.}}</ref>
==References== {{Commonscat|Score Media and Gaming Inc.}} {{reflist}}
== External links ==
* {{Official website}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Score Media and Gaming Inc.}} Category:2012 establishments in Ontario Category:Canadian companies established in 2012 Category:Mass media companies established in 2012 Category:Companies formerly listed on the TSX Venture Exchange Category:Companies formerly listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange Category:Companies based in Toronto Category:Canadian sport websites Category:Gambling companies of Canada Category:Android (operating system) software Category:IOS software Category:Mobile software Category:Esports websites Category:Companies formerly listed on the Nasdaq Category:2021 mergers and acquisitions