BetMGM is now the exclusive sportsbook partner of The Athletic.
Under the agreement announced Thursday, The Athletic will create a dedicated betting vertical known as The Athletic Betting Hub.
That will offer digital, audio and video sports betting content, with integrated live odds and offers from BetMGM.
What does The Athletic offer for BetMGM?
The Athletic has more than a million subscribers globally, spread across the US, UK and Canada. The company kicked off a major hiring spree for sports betting roles last month.
“The Athletic has an incredibly engaged and loyal readership and we look forward to introducing their fans to the BetMGM sports betting brand,” said chief revenue officer Matt Prevost.
“They also have an outstanding product and, through integrations and collaboration, this partnership complements The Athletic’s premium offering.”
Backed by massive venture capital interest, The Athletic recently celebrated its fifth anniversary. It continues to grow despite doing some layoffs in 2020.
New acquisition channel for BetMGM
For BetMGM, the deal adds another acquisition channel, alongside Yahoo Sports and MGM’s MLife rewards scheme.
The Yahoo deal, in particular, is paying dividends according to co-parent Entain. Yahoo is now the brand’s largest affiliate.
The operator also expects to lower acquisition costs from around $500 per player to $250 over the next two years thanks to these partnerships.
Blend of analysis and betting
“BetMGM has pioneered the online gaming industry and as we sought to establish The Athletic as a home for great betting content, we knew there would be no better partner,” said Evan Parker, The Athletic’s general manager of content operations.
“As we collaborate on this new venture, we share a joint vision for how to seamlessly blend media, analysis and betting into unique, premium experiences for The Athletic subscribers.”
BetMGM went live in Virginia and Michigan this week.
The Athletic was advised by Bettor Capital.
