BetMGM, the sports betting joint venture between MGM Resorts International and GVC Holdings, has announced the appointment of Ryan Spoon as its Chief Operating Officer.
Spoon will report to CEO Adam Greenblatt and he will be based in the firm’s headquarters in New Jersey. He is scheduled to start in his new role in November.
He most recently served as Senior Vice President of Social & Digital Content at ESPN, and before that was Senior Vice President of Digital Product and Design. In those roles he helped build, operate and grow many of ESPN’s digital properties.
Spoon is a two-time Sports Business Journal Forty Under 40 winner. Before joining ESPN, he spent time as a venture capitalist at Polaris Venture Partners where he proved his innate skills in identifying and leveraging trends in the digital space.
Greenblatt said: “BetMGM has seen early success in establishing itself as a significant player in the sports betting world through relationships with leagues, teams and partners. With Ryan’s expertise in developing scaled and engaging digital experiences, BetMGM will leverage those relationships in entirely new ways.”
Spoon added: “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 league partnerships include the NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, PGA TOUR and NASCAR. Team partners include the Denver Broncos, New York Jets, Tennessee Titans, Detroit Lions, Las Vegas Raiders, Vegas Golden Knights, and more. Strategic partners include Yahoo! Sports and Buffalo Wild Wings.
