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Better Collective

Better Collective bolsters South American expansion with the appointment of dynamic Country Director for Brazil

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With its fast-paced geographical expansion, South America has become an important pillar in Better Collective’s vision to become the leading digital sports media group. The group has already gained strong traction in the region and last month announced the opening of its new office in Rio de Janeiro. Better Collective welcomes Terence Gargantini as its new Country Director for Brazil, whose job it will be to further strengthen the group’s presence in the South American market.

On June 15, Terence Gargantini joins the Better Collective group as Country Director for Brazil. Gargantini’s first task will be to attend the SIGMA conference in Sao Paulo with the Better Collective team. He brings valuable knowledge from the sports industry, and with the ability to combine business acumen with a deep understanding of the South American sporting world, Gargantini will help expand Better Collective’s South American operations.

Simon Hovmand-Stilling, CEO of Better Collective South America: “We are happy to welcome Terence Gargantini to the group. With a keen eye for identifying mutually beneficial partnerships and having a large local network and experience, we know that Gargantini can play an important role in solidifying Better Collective’s South American presence.

Hovmand-Stilling adds: “Localization will be absolutely key for Better Collective in South America. We are already building a strong understanding of the local sports fans so we can be more relevant for advertisers, both local and international ones that seek to establish a presence in this region. And that is why profiles like Terence Gargantini are instrumental in our continued successful expansion”.

Having worked hands-on with the Brazilian National football team and all state regional federations, clubs such as Flamengo and Corinthians, and other prominent South American clubs and athletes, Gargantini’s expertise spans across multiple disciplines, which makes him a versatile asset to Better Collective. Most recently, Gargantini held the position as Country Director for more than four years on ElevenSports.com, a global, leading multi-sports streaming platform which is part of DAZN Group. Prior to this role, he also served as Business Development Director for FanHero, an end-to-end “over the top” video platform solution for influencers and content creators. Gargantini also spent 11 years at Nike Inc. leading the local and global sports marketing strategy, including six years at the Nike European Headquarter in Hilversum (Netherlands).

Terence Gargantini, Better Collective Country Director for Brazil:I am very excited to join such a great company and tremendous individuals. I have much exciting work ahead of me in trying to help lead Better Collective’s South American strategy and operations as well as collaborating on business development efforts in order to continue entry into the legal iGaming market in South America, and to enhance Better Collective’s foothold in this exciting region.

Better Collective

Network Gaming partners with Better Collective to launch pioneering gaming ecosystem

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Network Gaming and BolaVIP launch groundbreaking mobile gaming platform, Ligavip, for Brazilian sports fans

Network Gaming, the next-generation sports games studio, has announced the launch of its mobile-first gaming platform in partnership with Bolavip, one of Brazil’s largest sports media brands and part of the global sports media group Better Collective.

This launch marks a bold step into new territory for Network Gaming — entering the Brazilian market for the first time, and doing so on a mainstream stage that reaches millions of passionate fans. The collaboration sets the scene for a new category of mobile sports games, built for mass appeal and designed to deepen engagement across Bolavip’s vast audience.

Timed to coincide with the start of the main football championship in Brazil, the debut of the Ligavip platform delivered standout early results, including a 15% conversion rate from unique visitors to registered users in its opening weekend.

Unlike traditional models, Ligavip is not tethered to betting. Instead, it opens up an innovative source of new revenues for Better Collective by offering free-to-play games powered by branded prizes, such as shopping vouchers from one of the country’s top sports retailers, awarded to the best performers in Ligavip challenges. Players can compete for rewards, challenge their friends for bragging rights, and monitor their performance on live leaderboards in a community-first environment.

“We’re stepping onto a new stage — launching in Brazil, partnering with one of the most influential sports media groups in the world, certainly in terms of incoming traffic to its assets, and thereby pushing our platform into the mainstream,” said Harry Collins, CEO of Network Gaming. “This is a defining moment for us. It’s not just about great gameplay; it’s about creating sustainable entertainment ecosystems built around loyalty, fun, and fan connection.”

The launch also signals a new phase of development for Network Gaming’s broader platform ambitions. With Ligavip, the company will now be building out advanced meta mechanics — systems layered on top of gameplay such as daily rewards, progression loops, and upgrades — designed to boost long-term retention. Combined with powerful social features like leaderboards, invite-a-friend mechanics, and community leagues, these systems turn simple games into sticky, social experiences.

Tomás Vaz de Carvalho, COO South America at Better Collective, said: “We’re thrilled to be working with Network Gaming to bring a new kind of interactive sports experience to Brazil. This is about engaging fans in a fresh, rewarding way — and opening up new commercial avenues that align with global digital trends. Gaming is now a key pillar in many media strategies, and this partnership puts us right at the forefront.”

As traditional media looks for new ways to engage and monetise its audience, initiatives like Ligavip are becoming a strategic pillar. (The New York Times now generates more revenue from its games portfolio than its core news content.) This collaboration allows Better Collective and Network Gaming to stay ahead of the curve — creating experiences that are fun, valuable, and aligned with global digital entertainment trends.

The post Network Gaming partners with Better Collective to launch pioneering gaming ecosystem appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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Affiliate Industry

Six Major Affiliates Form RGAA to Protect Consumers and Advocate Responsible Gambling

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Gambling affiliates create new group to protect consumers: Responsible Gambling Affiliate Association (RGAA)

The RGAA, founded by the six major United States gambling affiliates, will serve as a trade association to advocate for reasonable regulation, responsible advertising and consumer protection.

Today, we are proud to announce the formation of the Responsible Gambling Affiliate Association (RGAA), a coalition of like-minded companies dedicated to nurturing an environment where gambling affiliate companies can serve the commercial needs of the regulated online gambling market.

The RGAA’s mission is to champion responsible gambling marketing and advertising practices, empower gambling affiliate companies to influence sensible regulation and protect consumer interests while effectively participating in the market.

Comprising six major players in the United States online gambling affiliate sector, the RGAA includes Better Collective, Catena Media, Gambling.com Group, oddschecker Global Media, Spotlight Sports Group and XLMedia plc. These initial members have recognized that affiliate marketing providers must participate in broader industry initiatives in the United States to advocate for sensible advertising regulation that balances consumer protection and the practicalities of digital advertising.

Although gambling affiliates are subject to significant regulation, there is potential for further improvement in elevating the standards of the affiliate marketing sector.

The new trade association is built on five strategic pillars:

* Promotion of competitive gambling markets, emphasizing the importance of open and competitive online gambling markets to ensure consumers can access a diverse selection of modern online gambling services.

* Industry education through developing an upcoming slate of initiatives to heighten visibility and generate greater recognition within the gambling sector for gambling affiliates including inviting additional businesses to join in time.

* Consumer protection, empowerment and choice that steers consumers towards their locally-licensed and regulated options, promoting greater product innovation, elevated customer service standards and maximized consumer experience.

* Advertising codes of conduct to ensure ethical marketing and advertising practices that play an important role in minimizing problem gambling while serving the commercial needs of the broader gambling industry.

* Responsible business practices based on thoughtful dedication, intelligent advocacy and a profound sense of responsibility toward both the industry and the consumers it serves.

The RGAA is currently in the process of hiring a permanent President to act as the figurehead of the organization and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of responsible affiliate practices, advocating the needs and interests of its members, fostering collaboration with industry stakeholders and advocating for the highest standards of integrity. A forthcoming announcement will be made once an RGAA President has been appointed.

“We are committed to doing everything possible to help empower our industry to promote gambling as entertainment and enable our customers to enjoy our products and services responsibly,” the Chief Executive Officer North America for Better Collective, Mark Frank Pedersen, said. “Having the industry come together with a unified approach to creating standards and guidelines puts the best interests of our consumers, customers and their families at the forefront. Not only is this the right thing to do for our customers, it’s the best thing to ensure the success and longevity of the industry and our businesses.”

“The United States gambling market is swiftly regulating and affiliates are vital to the overall industry,” the Chief Executive Officer for Catena Media, Michael Daly, said. “Catena Media is proud to be a founding member of the RGAA, an association committed to promoting responsible, positive wagering experiences through legal, regulated operators.”

“All stakeholders in the American online gambling market need to understand the critical role affiliate companies play in helping regulated online gambling operators achieve their growth targets,” the Chief Executive Officer for Gambling.com Group, Charles Gillespie, said. “Gambling.com Group is proud to be part of the new Responsible Gambling Affiliate Association to ensure that standards remain high among our peers and that the voice and message of the affiliate marketing community is heard loud and clear.”

“Our consumers are at the heart of everything we do so we, together with our fellow founding members, wanted to lead the way in promoting social responsibility in the affiliate industry and creating a safer gambling environment for consumers in the United States as that market continues to grow,” the Chief Executive Officer for oddschecker Global Media, Stuart Simms, said. “Our ambition is that the RGGA will support fair play for all.”

“Spotlight Sports Group has always been at the forefront of the responsible gambling ecosystem, consistently looking to go above and beyond regulatory requirements,” the Chief Executive Officer for Spotlight Sports Group, Mark Renshaw, said. “We are extremely proud to be a founding member of the Responsible Gambling Affiliate Association, which I believe will play a key role in ensuring the highest standards are set among the affiliate industry.”

“XLMedia is very proud to be a founding member of the RGAA, an association committed to promoting responsible online gambling,” the Chief Executive Officer for XLMedia plc, David King, said. “As an affiliate marketing company, we play a critical role in providing consumers with choice while supporting regulated online gambling operators to reach customers and grow their business.”

Learn more about the RGAA here: www .RGAA .org.

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Better Collective

Better Collective Enters into Definitive Agreement to Acquire Playmaker Capital

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Better Collective has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Toronto-based Playmaker Capital, a leading digital sports media group that owns and operates a number of strong sports media brands in the US, Canada, and across South America. Upon closing of this transformational transaction, Better Collective is expected to become the market leader in South America with the largest audience across its sports media brands and will also strengthen its leading position in North America.

Acquisition Highlights

  • Better Collective’s second largest acquisition with a total price consideration of 176 mEUR
  • Transformational acquisition to take market leadership in South America and enhance North American market leadership
  • Acquiring strong digital sports media brands with a combined monthly audience of more than 200 million visits from across the Americas
  • Experienced leadership team to stay onboard to help drive the business forward
  • Clear path to synergies post integration bringing EV/EBITDA of 2026e to below 5x, implying an EBITDA margin in line with Better Collective’s publishing business of +40%. Positive synergistic effects are expected to expand further in the years thereafter
  • The transaction will be funded by 65% Better Collective shares (partly by the transfer of 1,387,580 treasury shares and up to 1,713,300 newly issued shares) and 35% cash, corresponding to a dilution of approximately 3.1%. Better Collective shares will be settled at 270.48 SEK/share
  • Upon closing of the transaction Better Collective will revisit its long-term financial targets for the period 2023-2027.

Playmaker Capital is a leading digital sports media group operating a strong portfolio of sports media brands across the Americas. Following the closing of the transaction, Playmaker Capital will be a wholly owned subsidiary of Better Collective. Once integrated, Better Collective expects to significantly ramp up its media capabilities and expand its audiences across its sports media portfolio.

Jesper Søgaard, Co-founder & CEO of Better Collective, said: “Acquiring Playmaker Capital is in many ways transformational for Better Collective and will be an important milestone in our journey towards becoming the leading digital sports media group. Upon closing of the acquisition, we will significantly grow our audience and reach a larger segment of generalist sports fans. For years, Playmaker Capital has built incredibly strong sports media brands and excited sports fans across the Americas with high-quality sports content, cultivating a loyal and dedicated following. The skilled team behind Playmaker Capital brings a unique set of media competencies that will boost our organization. Saying that I am excited to welcome the new team to the Better Collective group would be an understatement.”

Jordan Gnat, Co-founder & CEO of Playmaker Capital, said: “Over the past 12 months I have been talking a lot about a transformational deal for Playmaker and its shareholders that will take this company to the next level. Today’s announcement does exactly that and I could not be more excited for the Playmaker family to join the Better Collective family. Their success is undeniable and their vision to become the leading digital sports media group aligns with us exactly. The cultures of our companies are very similar and I see the integration and synergies to be incredibly accretive to shareholders.”

The closing of the transaction is subject to approval by the shareholders of Playmaker Capital, court approval, applicable regulatory approvals and certain other closing conditions customary in transactions of this nature. The transaction is expected to close before the end of Q1 of 2024, whereafter Playmaker Capital will be consolidated into the Better Collective group.

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