As football season nears, sports betting operators across the US are launching new content partnerships and signing the latest, greatest sports podcast starts.
As betting enters its fourth year of widespread legality in the US, operators are also now thinking outside of the box and turning to gamers, comedians, and musicians to cast a wider net. Additionally, influencers and celebs like Nicki Minaj and Jake Paul are getting into sports betting with the belief they can bring a new audience to the industry.
BetMGM partnering with comedy-focused Almost Friday Media
With its latest partnership, BetMGM is taking a more unconventional approach to growing its customer base. Instead of partnering with a sports content group, the company inked a deal with Almost Friday Media, a group known primarily for its irreverent comedy.
As part of the deal, BetMGM is the exclusive sports betting partner for the network. In turn, Almost Friday Media will produce content across social media, YouTube, Discord, and its network of more than 25 shows. Almost Friday boasts a following of almost 7 million and generates more than 120 million impressions per week. More importantly, those impressions are consistent year-round and not only present for football season.
“Elevated, organic content is a key ingredient in our plans for keeping BetMGM’s voice differentiated as a premium online gaming platform. Almost Friday Media is a great partner to help us continue to distinguish ourselves as an industry leader,” said BetMGM CRO Matt Prevost.
Almost Friday approaches sports in an unserious way
BetMGM is not the first major organization Almost Friday Media has worked with. Past partners include Bud Light, GrubHub, Sling, and Dunkin Donuts.
“Sports is a vital pillar of the Almost Friday content ecosystem. As sports betting continues to come online in the U.S., we know it can be intimidating for the new fan,” said Andrew Kenward, Almost Friday’s President and COO. “We’re excited to work with BetMGM to create content highlighting how to responsibly enjoy the phenomenon sweeping the country.”
While Kenward noted the importance of sports to Almost Friday in the release, he told SBC Americas that the company takes a lot of pride in its lighthearted, fan-based approach to sports. This is not an organization whose content is giving out picks or deep diving into offensive efficiency analytics.
“We’re more keen to focus on what is happening culturally in sports and focus on driving action around those moments. A great example is when Joe Burrow was making his run in the playoffs we absolutely embraced him at every turn, meme-ifying him mercilessly while glorifying the ground he walked on. We plan on latching onto those cultural waves and having our community ride along with us, with actual skin in the game,” Kenward explained.
