Playmaker prepares for sports wagering expansion in Canada
Digital media company acquires The Nation Network.
Digital sports media company Playmaker on Wednesday said it has “planted a flag” in Canada with the platform acquisition of The Nation Network (TNN) and its wholly owned subsidiary, Daily Faceoff (DFO).
TNN says it is an Edmonton-based, hockey-first digital media group that attracts millions of sports fans annually to its network of fan community sites, podcasts and rapidly growing hockey reference property, DFO.
The parties said Playmaker acquired 100% of TNN for aggregate consideration of up to CA$15m (US$12m).
According to a statement by Playmaker, the platform acquisition provides it with “significant” exposure to the Canadian sports market, as it immediately adds more than 27m annual users to the Playmaker audience ecosystem.
In addition, the purchase of TNN, “Establishes Playmaker’s presence in Canada in advance of the opening of full sports betting in Ontario in Q1 2022,” the company said.
Since they were co-founded in 2007 by CEO Jay Downton, TNN and DFO have generated more than 1bn page views.
Downton said TNN offers differentiated channels of distribution to deliver breaking news, analysis and fantasy projections to a highly engaged group of users, including through a subscription model, which will be a net-new revenue stream within the Playmaker ecosystem.
TNN also delivers analysis through the platforms of several key influencers, including North American hockey authority Frank Seravalli, who joins the Playmaker family in his role as DFO’s president of hockey content.
Seravalli also serves as president of the Hockey Writers Association and is one of the NHL’s most respected sources for breaking news and league developments, the company said.
TNN and DFO say they generate more than 5.2m monthly sessions and engage with 5.4m social media followers across multiple platforms, including Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and TikTok.
The TNN brand family includes more than ten web properties, including Oilersnation.com, Canucksarmy.com, Hockeyfights.com and Daily Faceoff. TNN also produces a host of podcasts, including DFO Rundown and a partnership with Dropping the Gloves hosted by John Scott, which combine for 4.6m annual downloads.
In September, TNN and online gaming operator PointsBet entered into a multi-year deal positioning PointsBet Canada as the exclusive sports betting partner to both TNN and DFO. Through this partnership, PointsBet Canada is expected to deliver odds integrations, analysis from PointsBet experts, and access to enhanced tools to drive deeper engagement across TNN platforms.
“We are beyond excited to be joining the Playmaker family,” Downton said in a statement. “It is refreshing to work with a group that understands and shares the same fan-first culture as we do, because like us, they are sports fans. This is a huge momentum builder for The Nation Network as it will allow us to invest more in content creation, talent recruitment, partnerships and strategic acquisitions, all of which will better serve and expand our amazing online community. We are excited to get to work!”
Jordan Gnat, Playmaker CEO, added: “The acquisition of TNN and DFO is further proof that Playmaker is continuing to execute against its plan to acquire and roll up valuable, profitable digital media assets that cover major sports in important markets. TNN is Playmaker’s first acquisition in our home market of Canada, giving Playmaker true audience reach from the top of Canada to the bottom of Argentina. This is particularly important in Canada as we look towards Q1 2022, when third-party sports betting operators will be permitted to operate in Ontario.”
Gnat said the TNN acquisition helps diversify Playmaker’s revenue streams through a subscription-based premium content model and with a significant sportsbook partnership already in place. “I am delighted to welcome Jay and Frank and the whole Nation team into the Playmaker family.”
Seravalli said, “I could not be more excited to join the Playmaker family. There is no doubt combining forces with Playmaker will unlock additional resources and the creative juice that will power our team, turbocharging our vision to make it a reality more quickly than we originally planned. Partnering with Playmaker better enables us to continue on our trajectory in becoming the premier destination for refreshingly independent hockey coverage in the digital space.”
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