Entain agrees $160m deal for sports media firm 365scores

Entain has acquired Hong Kong-based sports media and live scores provider 365scores in deal worth $160m (£128.15m).

The London-listed operator has acquired the entire issued share capital of 365scores for a consideration of $150m, with the other $10m made up of contingent payments.

Cross-media platform 365scores provides scores and sports information, editorial and social content, as well as sports-focused free-to-play games.

The firm was founded in 2012 and, according to Entain, has a global audience of over 15 million active users and is ranked among the top five scores apps worldwide according to Data.ai.

The operator believes the takeover will “provide customers with a broader offering of interactive content and experiences” and added that it “unlocks further growth opportunities and supports our global strategic ambitions”.

This is the latest in a number of acquisitions Entain has made over the last couple of years.

Since rebranding from GVC Holdings to Entain in December 2020 and appointing Jette Nygaard-Andersen as CEO in January 2021, the operator has completed five acquisitions.

In August 2021, the business acquired US-based esports betting company Unikrn for £50m, which was recently boosted with the $13.25m deal to acquire esports betting provider Sportflare from Tiidal Gaming.

The deal for Unikrn was followed in February 2022 with the acquisition of Canadian sports betting operator Sports Interaction from Avid Gaming for £175m.

In November 2022, leading Croatian firm SuperSport was snapped up as Entain looks to expand its footprint into Central and Eastern Europe.

Then, in January this year, Entain announced it had completed the €450m (£394.9m) acquisition of Dutch operator BetCity from its parent company, Sports Entertainment Media.

The news of this latest acquisition comes days after former Ladbrokes Australia CEO Jason Scott left the company after 11 years employed across several Entain-owned brands.