Gambling.com clinches Gannett strategic partnership
Affiliate to access 43 states with wide-ranging media-led deal with USA TODAY publisher
Gambling.com has agreed a multi-year deal to become the strategic partner of US-based publisher Gannett, the group which operates the USA TODAY and media business network.
Under the agreement, Gambling.com Group will provide relevant content for sports enthusiasts while using Gannett’s reach across the US media landscape through the USA TODAY Network.
The agreement integrates Gambling.com Group’s proprietary data science platform and sports betting content across USA TODAY Network properties.
This includes more than 200 authoritative publications in local markets – such as AZCentral.com, the Tennessean.com, and Freep.com – in states where sports betting has been launched.
It also provides for distribution of Gambling.com content across USA TODAY Sports and the Sports Media Group (SMG) properties. This includes the Sports Wire fansite network, which currently operates in more than 20 legal sports betting markets across the US.
Gambling.com CEO Charles Gillespie welcomed the signing of the deal, citing the firm’s strategy of signing partnerships with larger media groups in the US market over smaller deals.
“With the effort it takes to sign media deals in the US, it’s better for us in the long run to target these sorts of deals, as we have with [US publisher] McLatchy previously,” Gillespie explained.
The McLatchy deal, signed in January 2022, gave the affiliate access to 65 million unique visitors across 29 US states, with the Gannett deal providing access to 47 million website viewers across its network.
Speaking about this latest deal, Gillespie continued: “Gannett’s authoritative digital presence across the US makes them an ideal media partner for us to drive revenue and cash-flow growth in our number one target market.
“Media partnerships are a proven way for both Gambling.com Group and our media partners to create significant, new revenue from online gambling player acquisition,” he added.
Gillespie’s opposite number, Gannett CEO and chairman Michael Reed, waxed lyrical about the firm’s newest media partner.
“Our highly engaged audience of more than 47 million sports fans crave analysis and betting insights to make smart decisions and find the best sportsbooks and online casino sites,” Reed said.
“We expect this partnership to be immediately accretive to our EBITDA and free cash flow by monetizing our sports traffic. The deal is progressively more valuable as regulated online gambling is launched in more states,” he added.