BetMGM has announced that it has signed a multi-year strategic partnership with Gannett Co. that establishes the operator as the “preferred online sportsbook and casino partner” of USA TODAY Sports.
The MGM Resorts International and Entain joint venture will provide sports betting odds and betting information across the USA TODAY Network in more than 200 local U.S. markets across 43 states. USA TODAY’s umbrella encompasses more than 300 digital news and media brands in the portfolio.
In particular, BetMGM sports betting odds will be incorporated into articles, sharing betting odds including moneylines, spreads and over/unders for games as well as a “Bet Now” feature. BetMGM Sportsbook and BetMGM Casino will each be listed as a partner on website footers across all USA TODAY Network publications.
BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt said in a release that the USA TODAY Network’s “unrivaled reach at a local and national level enables us to connect with a massive audience.”
“By integrating odds and insights seamlessly into Gannett’s content, we’re empowering fans to stay informed and engaged with their favorite teams and games,” said Greenblatt.
Gannett Chairman and CEO Michael Reed forecast that the collaboration “will immediately lead to an increase in the overall monetization of our content platform.”
“As a best-in-class partner, our goal is to deliver their trusted sports betting information to our audience of more than 44 million sports fans – especially now that football season has kicked off,” added Reed. “We believe BetMGM complements our existing portfolio of partners and will enable us to drive further audience growth and engagement.”
BetMGM has replaced Tipico as Gannett’s sportsbook and casino partner. Tipico signed a five-year agreement in the summer of 2021 that effectively made it the exclusive sports betting and iGaming provider for Gannett. However, that ultimately lasted just three of the five years before Tipico pulled its sportsbook out of the U.S. market.
In addition to the new BetMGM integrations, affiliate network Gambling.com Group will provide BetMGM sports betting offers and expert insights leveraging their proprietary advertising technology in states where online gambling is regulated.
BetMGM increases visibility through media partnerships
BetMGM offers sports betting and online gaming in numerous U.S. states via brands including BetMGM, Borgata Casino, Party Casino, Party Poker and Wheel of Fortune.
As it continues to cement itself as a prominent operator in the American market, it has worked to increase its visibility and reach by partnering with renowned media outlets.
As well as the new USA TODAY collaboration, BetMGM struck a deal to become the official odds provider of the Associated Press back in May, taking over from U.S. sports betting market leader FanDuel. As with the Gannett deal, BetMGM odds are now integrated into the AP’s daily odds fixtures, game previews and other sports-related content that includes the mention of betting odds.
It also formed a strategic partnership with social media site X, formerly Twitter, in February to become the exclusive live odds provider for X in a first-of-its-kind pact between a sportsbook and social media platform.
The raft of hook-ups has been a targeted strategic move. At MGM’s Q2 2024 earnings call on July 31, BetMGM’s parent company noted that it had spent heavily on marketing and customer acquisition in the first half of 2024 as it looks to consolidate BetMGM’s third-place ranking in the U.S. market and close the online sports betting market chasm between itself and DraftKings and FanDuel.
Meanwhile, on the sports betting operational front, BetMGM added district-wide mobile betting in D.C. to its reach in July as the jurisdiction opened up its online market to multiple operators.
