The push for tie ups between media and sports betting operators has continued with Gaming Innovation Group (GIG) and XLMedia netting accords with two major news organisations. 

GIG said it has entered a partnership with News Corp in the U.K. to offer sports betting, casino content and offers, to readers of The Sun and talkSPORT. 

News Corp is one of the world’s largest media organisations, claiming to reach about 40 million people across the U.K. each month. 

Meanwhile, sports betting and gaming-focused affiliate said it has joined forces with NewsWeek in the U.S. 

Under the accord, XL will provide sports betting content and will also manage commercial deals with regulated sportsbook operators. 

Sports betting and media convergence

Newsweek is XL’s largest media partner to date, reaching about 50 million readers across the U.S. each month.

The deals form part of a trend that has seen the blurring of lines between sports betting and media companies, especially in the U.S. as more states legalise. Transactions have ranged from Penn National earlier this year buying Barstool sports to DraftKings buying Vegas Sports Information Network. 

Sporting giant ESPN is also reportedly looking at fostering deeper ties with the gaming community.

In the U.K, GIG said it expects to go live on The Sun and talkSPORT’s websites in time to take advantage of the FIFA World Cup. 

 “A collaboration of this magnitude will allow us to provide added value to our partners in the sports betting and casino sphere, reaching new heights while showcasing our abilities to operate at a top-tier level,” said Jonas Warrer, Chief Marketing Officer at GiG.

XL said its accord with Newsweek will provide the magazine with a new opportunity in content commerce and a new content offering for its audience. 

Revenue generating in 2023

XL said it expects the tie-up to begin generating revenue next year and has the potential to expand over the medium term. 

“We are thrilled to partner with Newsweek, adding another high-quality publisher to our partnership business, and we look forward to working with them. This partnership is an important part of expanding our reach in existing legal sports betting states while also laying the ground to reach new audiences when new states legalise online sports betting,” XLMedia CEO David King said.