Third Planet Affiliates snaps up FansUnite's Props.com for undisclosed fee
Recently formed firm, founded by Adam Small and Cal Spears, dubbed Props a “perfect fit” to cater for the flourishing DFS+ market
Third Planet Affiliates has acquired FansUnite Entertainment owned-Props.com for an undisclosed sum, bolstering its burgeoning portfolio in the process.
Third Planet Affiliates will add the player props betting and DFS resource to its Casino Reports and Lottery Geeks sites, with the business having only been formed earlier this year.
Backed by industry veterans Adam Small and Cal Spears, Third Planet’s main ambition, according to co-founder Spears, is “to provide top-quality casino, lottery, and player props news and tools to the US-facing consumer and industry insiders, without putting anything behind a paywall.”
Reflecting on the acquisition of Props.com, Spears claimed: “Props.com is a category-defining domain name with significant search traction.
“It’s a perfect fit for covering both traditional US sports betting and the burgeoning DFS+ space led by Underdog and PrizePicks. Our young company is excited to build Props.com into a daily resource for both bettors and fantasy players.”
Founded in 2021 under the American Affiliate banner, Props provides a variety of articles and tips to sports bettors and DFS players for major US professional sports leagues.
Small and Spears first entered the affiliate space nearly two decades ago with the launch of online poker ranking website PocketFives in 2005.
Small went on to found US Bets in 2016, while Spears – a highly successful DFS player – established leading DFS resource RotoGrinders, with both assets snapped up by Danish affiliate giant Better Collective as part of its push into North America, starting in 2019.
Better Collective acquired an initial 60% stake in Nashville-based RotoGrinders for $21m in early 2019, before taking the remaining 40% of the business in November 2021 for $38m.
The duo reunited at the start of the year to launch Third Planet Affiliates, as well as drafting in co-founder of SportsHandle Brett Smiley as chief content officer.
Shedding further light on the inspiration behind Third Planet Affiliate’s inception, Small told Earnings + More: “Right now, resources are lacking for those who want to follow and educate themselves about the online casino and lottery spaces, particularly in lottery.
“We aim to bring higher-quality journalism, as well as tools and resources, to those who want to better understand these products and the industries pushing them forward.”
Third Planet Affiliates is expected to soon gain affiliate licenses in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and West Virginia “quite soon”, according to Small.
He went on to reveal that the business is expected to generate positive revenue “sometime in 2025.”
Small also said an exit from the firm is not on anyone’s mind right now. “We want to position ourselves as relevant and make money, and if a good opportunity to sell comes along in a few years, we’ll be ready to evaluate it.”