Penn National and Barstool Sports saw unprecedented success in Pennsylvania this past weekend with the launch of the new Barstool Sportsbook app and website.
After such a remarkable debut, we can’t help but wonder when Barstool Sportsbook will expand its reach into states like Tennessee and begin claiming dominion over the sports betting universe.
Barstool Sportsbook has massive opening numbers
The new Barstool Sportsbook app saw an impressive number of downloads over the first weekend, peaking at 23,000 for a single-day sum on Saturday and totaling 63,000 across the entire weekend.
Barstool Sports was also the top sports betting app and the overall sports app in the Apple App Store in its first 72 hours.
DraftKings Sportsbook and FanDuel Sportsbook have been the two leaders in online sports betting since their New Jersey launch in 2018.
So far, Barstool’s numbers have blown these other major sportsbooks out of the water.
| Opening Weekend Downloads | Single-Day Download Record | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barstool | 23,000 | 63,000 | ||
| DraftKings | 4,000 | 15,000 | ||
| FanDuel | 9,000 | 19,000 | ||
During DraftKing’s opening weekend, their app saw 4,000 downloads. Meanwhile FanDuel’s opening weekend saw 9,000 downloads.
DraftKing’s single-day download record of 15,000 came on Sept. 10 of this year during the NFL season opener. FanDuel’s single-day record of 19,000 came a few days later on Sept. 13.
The DraftKings and FanDuel apps launched in a time when fans were still learning about legal sports gambling. This Barstool Sports launch, on the other hand, premiered during an NFL weekend to a semi-mature market.
Barstool can compete with major sportsbooks
With so many variables involved, it’s difficult to evaluate the sportsbooks laterally after a single weekend. While Barstool Sports has certainly made a strong start, it still has a long way to go if it intends to effectively and consistently compete with sportsbook powerhouses like:
- DraftKings
- FanDuel
- William Hill
- BetMGM
- FOX Bet
- BetRivers
- PointsBet
The question will be whether fans stick with Barstool as their preferred sportsbook after the initial excitement wears off.
Penn National rolled the dice by joining forces with Barstool Sports. Barstool has seen both adamant opposition as well as fervent support due to the brand’s “authentic, unapologetic” personality.
Ultimately, Penn National decided that the constant chatter around the Barstool name would help them distinguish their sportsbook in the already crowded sports betting market.
Penn brings the appropriate know-how to the table, while Barstool Sports’ passionate, cult-like following seals the deal.
When it comes to marketing spend, no other companies come close to DraftKings and FanDuel. However, marketing spend does not always directly correlate with actual success in this industry.
Barstool fans are already invested in the brand, giving Barstool a leg up when it comes to advertising spend and player re-engagement. For instance, Barstool Sports’ allegiance of followers amounts to 8.8 million on Instagram, almost 5 million via Facebook and 2.5 million on Twitter.
Looking ahead for Barstool
Many new sportsbooks can’t compete with the big dogs, but Barstool is proving to be a contender right out of the gate.
If Barstool can successfully operate a profitable, sustainable sportsbook, we may a shift in the industry. Barstool may soon be paving the way for how other major sportsbooks structure their own business model and marketing tactics.
Pennsylvania will be the initial indicator of what this sportsbook will be capable of in other states. Currently, the top states participating in online sports betting are Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Indiana. The next states to launch online sports betting will be Michigan, Tennessee and Virginia.
If Barstool can maintain this momentum, we may soon find the sportsbook making headway and capturing the wagers of sports bettors throughout the nation.
When will Barstool Sportsbook come to Tennessee?
Barstool Sportsbook is expected to expand into New Jersey and Michigan within the next few months.
This begs the question, when can Tennessee residents expect Barstool Sportsbook to expand into the Volunteer State?
Tennessee Education Lottery committee officially confirmed DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM as the first three sportsbooks to go live in the state by Nov. 1. Tennessee-based company Tennessee Sports Action 24/7 will likely be the fourth operator within the state.
Barstool RockyTop has already been established on Instagram and Twitter. Perhaps Barstool Sportsbook will follow suit and become the fifth online sportsbook in the state.
