Better Collective secured a deal with a social media giant to deliver its new AI-powered betting solution to users and sports fans across America.
The European digital sports media group announced on Wednesday a strategic partnership with X, formerly Twitter, to launch its AI-powered wagering solution Playbook in the U.S.
Better Collective announced the launch of Playbook in September after a beta test in February for Super Bowl LIX between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.
Better Collective’s partnership with X allows the company to provide users of the social media platform with AI-generated bet slips. The bet slips are accessed via a direct link that provides pre-loaded bet slips in a sportsbook’s app or website. The bet slips are generated using technology that leverages bet slip image recognition built on AI and deeplinks.
“We are excited to partner with X, giving sports fans instant access to AI-generated bet slips right where the global sports conversation happens,” said Better Collective Co-CEO Jesper Søgaard. “The collaboration underlines Better Collective’s ambition to take a market-leading role in the emerging retention betting space, while creating long-term value for our sportsbook partners.”
Better Collective is utilizing Playbook to focus on customer retention and not just acquisition. Playbook allows Better Collective to expand its addressable audience to include both active bettors and new customers. The product provides direct engagement between operators and bettors, providing access to a customer’s entire lifecycle. Better Collective’s deal with X is poised to expand the company’s reach. Better Collective already reports roughly 450 million visits per month across its entire portfolio of brands, which includes Action Network, Playmaker HQ, VegasInsider, and YardBarker.
“We are thrilled to partner with Better Collective and Playbook, giving our highly engaged sports community seamless access to betting experiences powered by AI,” said X Corp. Global Lead of Developer Platform Chris Park. “Together, we are redefining how fans connect, engage, and interact with live sports.”
Better Collective refocuses after operational changes
Better Collective is allocating resources toward customer retention following leadership changes and lowered financial expectations. Earlier this year, former North America CEO Marc Pedersen relinquished his role after joining Better Collective in 2007. Pedersen left Better Collective after the company restructured following a review of operations.
The restructuring had co-founder and former COO Christian Kirk Rasmussen take the role as co-CEO with Søgaard. During Pedersen’s stint at Better Collective, total revenue grew from $260,000 in 2018 to more than $100 million in annual revenue since 2022.
Despite the growth, Better Collective expects full-year revenue in 2025 to take a step back.
Better Collective projects revenue in 2025 to range between $333 million and $365 million. By comparison, revenue for the company reached $386.7 million in 2024.
Better Collective estimates its EBITDA to remain flat compared to last year. In 2024, the company reported an EBITDA before special items of $118 million. Better Collective attributes its projected year-over-year revenue drop to revenue declines in Brazil.
