How taking risks in unfamiliar territory can pay off for affiliates

Two years ago, Raketech acquired TVmatchen.nu, TVkampen.com and TVsporten.dk – a family of online TV sports guides and mobile apps. This was a completely new vertical, different to sports affiliation and there was no set formula for success. So why take the risk? Because there’s an appetite for high-quality sports content out there and it was an opportunity to target a larger audience with the same interests as people who bet on sports. Today the family has grown into six country-targeted product and a global esports guide, so we think the risk was worth taking.

The rise of the sports media guide

Affiliates have always been skilled at building SEO-driven casino and sports betting websites which generate high volumes of leads. However, the affiliate market is saturated with thousands of websites all competing for a handful of key search terms where only the best products survive.

So, what’s the alternative? That’s the million-dollar question. There are plenty of successful sports media products, including betting communities, live score apps, news aggregators and social pages, as well as the odd social betting idea launching every now and again to try and shake up the market.

Raketech’s TV sports guides serve more than two million active users in Scandinavia. The product appeals to a mainstream audience by offering something a bit different – acting as a second screen for watching live sport – with pre-match team news, statistics, betting odds, news articles, and a recently added live score. Having a mainstream sports product means that you can treat it like a brand and be viewed as an authority in your field. You also have the reputation needed to secure sponsorship deals, make partnerships, spend on advertising and build up a following of loyal users.

More than just a bonus offer

We are seeing stricter marketing regulations which negatively affect bonus offers, email marketing, TV advertising and even PPC in Sweden, so there is a need for a new product type that can fill the gap for affiliates.

The high levels of traffic achieved by a sports media product provide an opportunity for revenue streams on top of affiliate marketing. Most of our advertising partners are gambling operators paying for on-page advertising, but we also work with TV stations, online streaming sites and third-party platforms re-selling our advertising space. There are tons of companies that would benefit from targeting a group of engaged sports fans, and they should all be considered as potential customers.

The capability to earn revenue from advertising means there is less dependence on lead generation or having to compete with organic search results and PPC for bonus offers. This means we can focus on developing a quality product to attract new users, which in turn should increase revenue. Sports betting campaigns in Europe are very football-dependent and there’s a dip in pre-season. A media product covering all sports can change its focus for summer or niche sports and will experience less of a downtime in this period.

Sports affiliate sites will always have a purpose but finding something to crossover into the mainstream is essential for long-term success. The tougher competition and added compliance risks linked to bonus offers mean it is now now time for affiliates to take a step back and look at alternative ways to engage audiences– in our case, sports fans who like to place a bet.

Erik Jensen is the MD of Sports Media at Raketech, where he oversees the business strategy and performance of the ever-growing family of TV sport guides including flagship brand TVmatchen.nu. He has years of gaming industry experience in senior positions and has driven Raketech’s sports media growth journey since the summer of 2018.