How is Better Collective's sports media pivot set to impact the wider affiliate space and how are its listed rivals poised to respond? Scott Longley explores this alongside the regular quarterly performance round-up.
In our lead feature for this edition, Scott Longley explores BC’s sports media pivot from the side of its fellow listed affiliates from which it’s so keen to distance itself.
Their response can be broadly summarised as one of sticking to the knitting and looking to wring every opportunity arising from BC diversifying its focus elsewhere. These potential openings will include the deals that BC leaves on the table as they no longer move the needle for a business of this scale.
The open question of course is which of its competitors will prove most astute and agile to capitalise on these windows of opportunity.
The continued momentum of GiG Media and Gambling.com Group through Q1 further strengthened their cases for being the ones to watch here. However, the scale of the challenge of taking on BC in its current backyard was also hammered home by the sector leader upgrading its annual forecast ahead of issuing its Q1s.
Another theme running through the earnings releases and calls of the listed affiliates is the growing emphasis on content partnerships with mainstream media owners.
With Gambling.com Group’s CEO Charles Gillespie the most effusive during the Q1s on the benefits of such partnerships (see p18), its July announcement of a UK deal with the Independent to run alongside existing US deals with Gannett and McClatchey likely came as little surprise.
As always, I would love to hear any feedback you have on this and other iGB Affiliate content. You can reach me at stephen.carter@clariongaming.com.