Catena Media has penned a long-term agreement with Lee Enterprises to provide the local newspaper publisher with US-focused online sports betting and casino content.
Under the provisions of the deal, Catena will become Lee Enterprises’ exclusive partner for online sports betting and casino content across all 77 of its markets.
Lee Enterprises has 77 titles across 26 US states, including Buffalonews.com and Tucson.com, offering Catena Media significant exposure across the US in a local context.
Entering local markets, Catena outlined, allows the affiliate to broaden its North American reach, something that has been earmarked as a key priority for 2023 and beyond.
Ryan Harper, Vice President of North America at Catena, said: “Lee Enterprises is one of the largest publishers in the US and we are excited to work with them to bring high-quality editorial and advertorial betting content to their readers nationwide.
“The partnership with Lee allows us to continue to grow and bring our content to a broader audience. Our mission is to make sports betting and casino gaming more accessible and engaging for players, and this new collaboration aligns perfectly with that ambition.”
As well as access to states such as Missouri, Minnesota, Alabama, and North Carolina, the three-year deal will see Catena work across Lee’s betting product, frontpagebets.com.
Via this site, Catena will publish editorial and advertorial betting content syndicated in select properties, with the posts amplified via Lee’s social media channels.
Joe Battistoni, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Lee Enterprises, said: “This partnership with Catena Media enables us to expand our offerings in this space. We look forward to working with Catena Media to provide readers with insightful and informative content on online sports betting and casino gaming.”
Gaining exposure throughout the US via this deal sits in line with Catena Media’s updated strategy to attack the North American market.
Over the last few months, the affiliate publisher has outlined its intentions to scale up its operations in North America, citing the investment opportunities the region offers. The region accounted for 78% of total revenues in 2022 and Catena aims to improve this in the future.
