Better Collective has acquired Toronto-based digital sports media group Playmaker Capital. Playmaker Capital, which acquires and integrates sports media brands to deliver fans to online sportsbooks, advertisers and leagues, was purchased with the intention of Better Collective expanding its reach in South America.
The purchase was funded by 65% Better Collective shares and 35% cash, for a total price consideration of €176m ($188.2m).
Playmaker Capital was founded in 2020 and is the owner and operator of Yardbarker, Futbol Sites and The National Network (TNN) among other media. It also operates Futbol Sites, a digital sports media group in LatAm with a monthly visitor count of over 180 million. This company’s media brands include Bolavip, SomosFanaticos and RedGol, and now as part of the acquisition will be under the Better Collective umbrella.
On the acquisition, Co-founder & CEO of Better Collective Jesper Søgaard said, "Acquiring Playmaker Capital is in many ways transformational for Better Collective and will be an important milestone in our journey towards becoming a leading digital sports media group. Upon closing of the acquisition, we will significantly grow our audience and reach a larger segment of generalist sports fans.”
Better Collective has made several moves towards growth and talent acquisition. In Europe, the Danish company appointed Pernille Holbøll as a Senior Director for its Copenhagen office, and earlier this year, the company acquired Playmaker HQ with the goal of global growth.
The acquisition has been designed to mutually benefit both parties via the enhanced scale and increased technology, product and marketing investments available while giving Better Collective direct access to the LatAm market.
Jordan Gnat, Co-founder & CEO of Playmaker Capital, said, “I could not be more excited for the Playmaker family to join the Better Collective family. Their success is undeniable and their vision to become the leading digital sports media group aligns with us exactly.”
