Catena Media has launched MRKTPLAYS.com, a subaffiliation platform connecting affiliates to operators in North America.
The affiliate marketing company announced the move on Sept. 18, touting the new proprietary platform as an asset that gives affiliates the tools to build and expand their own networks and provides operators with a way to deepen and extend their footprint in the U.S.
The subaffiliation process allows partners to leverage Catena’s knowledge of and expertise in the North American market to increase their exposure to operators and unlock further revenue streams, said the company. MRKTPLAYS includes commission structures, tracking features and support services including dedicated account managers for each partnership.
Catena has fully launched MRKTPLAYS after running a beta test with a select group of its current affiliate partners. The company added in a statement that the website marks a significant milestone in its strategy to deliver scalable, technology-driven growth across the North American online casino gaming and sports betting industry.
CEO Manuel Stan called the launch “a pivotal step” in the company’s quest to shape the future of affiliate marketing.
“With simplicity at its core, MRKTPLAYS is an agile, smart and secure next-generation platform for both experienced affiliates and content creators new to affiliate marketing, as well as for operators to reach new audiences,” the chief executive added. “We are proud to bring this product to market and excited about the growth opportunities it unlocks for our partners and for Catena Media.”
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In essence, MRKTPLAYS is a way to connect content creators with the best-quality and best-matching operators in the industry, and vice versa. The aim is to pair operators with marketing partners who resonate with their brand, audience and goals, ensuring that every connection is meaningful and useful for all parties.
Catena’s idea is that every operator, from sportsbooks and online casinos to social gaming and fantasy gaming operators, benefits from being connected with creators who can help them reach the right audience and amplify their message and their products and services.
MARKTPLAYS lists platforms such as websites, podcasts, Twitch, Discord and influencer marketing as the type of content creation avenues it is looking to help operators utilize. It offers fast data refresh rates and actionable insights, supporting every connection, campaign and interaction with transparent, trackable and actionable data that lets the partners see exactly how campaigns perform.
“What MRKTPlays has done to simplify the affiliate marketing process has been a game-changer,” said Win Daily Sports Founder and CEO Jason Mezrahi. “We now have a one-channel solution which has streamlined our accounting and reporting tasks, and provided us huge upside in new markets and with new partners.”
Jess Hodgson, founder of Bounty Sports, noted that the platform gives his company “direct and straightforward” access to connect with large gaming operators.
Catena’s latest attempt to diversify
MRKTPLAYS is Catena’s newest attempt to diversify its offerings and find its footing after a sequence of tough quarters amid a difficult period for the U.S. gaming affiliate industry in general.
In February, it announced it was abandoning the AI project that it had previously suggested could turn around the company’s fortunes. Other recent changes have included selling its esports brands and conducting repeated redundancies, mostly recently cutting another swath of employees in May after a poor Q1.
The firm did show some tentative signs of a potential rebound in Q2, with revenue up 6% quarter over quarter when adjusting for a weaker U.S. dollar. For the three months ended June 30, 2025, Catena’s continuing operations in North America comprised 90% of its revenue. Overall adjusted EBITDA doubled year over year to reach around $1.6 million.
Stan said at the time of those results that the EBITDA improvements were down to the company’s continued efforts to stabilize and refine its operations.
