GVC/MGM announce landmark media deal with Yahoo Sports
GVC sportsbook technology to be integrated into Yahoo Sports app as part of multi-year agreement
GVC and MGM have announced a new US media partnership with Yahoo Sports that will see BetMGM technology integrated into the Yahoo Sports App.
The integrated product is set to launch in November, with transactions technically taking place on the BetMGM platform – itself powered by bwin technology.
Wherever odds are displayed by Yahoo Sports there will be brand attribution to BetMGM, while the deal will be defined as an affiliate arrangement to state regulators, meaning that Yahoo Sports will be paid for driving traffic to Bet MGM.
Financial specifics of the deal were not released.
From Barclays: "We view this news as positive for BetMGM as it widens the funnel of possible sportsbook users (Yahoo Sports has 62m monthly active users, alongside MGM’s 27m M-Life customers)
— Brad Allen (@BradAllenNFL) October 29, 2019
The multi-year partnership also makes Yahoo Sports the official Digital Media Sports Partner of MGM Resorts, with the companies pledging to deliver “collaborative content experiences and live events” to promote BetMGM.
The Yahoo Sports app and digital content boasts 60 million US users every month while Yahoo Fantasy Football clocks up 9 billion minutes of user time every year.
The Yahoo season-long fantasy product is one of the largest in the US, while the firm’s DFS product is thought to be roughly half the size of FanDuel.
“This is an exciting partnership for the BetMGM brand and Roar Digital, helping us reach the widest possible audience of engaged sports fans in the US,” said Adam Greenblatt, CEO of the MGM/GVC joint venture Roar Digital.
“Together we offer fans a winning combination.”
Under the agreement, MGM Resorts will also distribute Yahoo Sports content across its properties and platforms, while Yahoo Sports will host multiple player events at MGM Resorts properties.
MGM CEO Jim Murren said: “Integrating Yahoo’s leading fantasy sports operations and content with BetMGM’s world-class sports betting and interactive platform uniquely positions us to drive market share and large-scale adoption among sports fans.”
Guru Gowrappan, the CEO of Yahoo parent Verizon Media, said the deal would “change the future of fandom”.
“At Verizon Media we believe in building products that connect consumers to their passions and drive the deepest end-to-end value possible,” Gowrappan added.