GiveMeFootball & bwin: A safe bet
In late 2009, Sports New Media took Givemefootball on a road show to a number of possible betting partners with a view to an integrated partnership on the site.
Jae Chalfin, Managing Director of the company, explains the thinking behind the strategy. “Betting partners lend themselves to integrated deals and we are able to offer value through a number of different channels,” he said.
“The great thing about any integrated deal is that they are all about building partnerships, investing in each other and showing a willingness to work together. We were happy to offer this with widgets, links and editorials.”
With our continued growth in he UK, partnering givemefootball.com was seen by bwin as not only a strategic relationship to enter this market but also one that compliments our current offering
With a plethora of betting firms working in the market place, it was crucial to strike the right deal with a company who valued the prestige of GivemeFootball and were willing to work hand-in-hand with both Sports New Media and Givemefootball as the company looks to continue its rapid growth.
After months of negotiations with four possible partners, it soon became clear that bwin were a perfect fit as an integrated partner on Givemefootball. A relatively new company in the UK market with a well-established name in football across Europe, Chalfin spotted the great potential in such a deal.
“We very much felt that bwin were the best potential partner going forward, and they put a very good deal on the table. Everyone is aware of them in Europe through their football sponsorship, but they don’t have a huge presence in the UK yet.”
“The team that we met, Gary and Nick, were a much more exciting fit for us than the other people firms we met, some of whom you feel have slightly saturated the market.”
Sports New Media have done an excellent job in combining a traditional and well-respected organisation with modern and effective marketing exposure techniques including everything from search engine marketing to social media outlets like Facebook
“With our continued growth in he UK, partnering givemefootball.com was seen by bwin as not only a strategic relationship to enter this market but also one that compliments our current offering,” said Szlatiner.
“Sports New Media have done an excellent job in combining a traditional and well-respected organisation with modern and effective marketing exposure techniques including everything from search engine marketing to social media outlets like Facebook.”
“They’ve come on the ride with us, which shows great faith on their part.”
A six-month guaranteed revenue deal, along with a CPA and share of revenue from customers delivered provide some of the bare financial facts behind a deal that provides great opportunities for both, as Chalfin explains.
“Where bwin faired better than most was in the structure of their deal, which meant we had a much greater chance of generating revenue on a monthly basis.
“The deal gives us a bit more security, to ensure that all the investments and hard work we put in means we can’t lose the investor after a couple of months. It gives us a chance to get the ball rolling.”
Whilst an integrated betting partner is the most obvious alongside a football website, it doesn’t have to be the only type of partner.
“We could go into other verticals, although they would not be as obvious as an integrated betting partner,” noted Chalfin.
Both parties are obviously hopeful of success though, and the final word on this partnership goes to Szlatiner as we look forward to a long-standing relationship that moves further into the future.
“The benefits from this particular integrated relationship is having the ability to work with another organisation that is not only passionate about sports and supporting it but also has employed intelligent techniques to increase both audience and awareness.”
“This combination has the potential to create an even more engaged audience both for Givemefootball and bwin, which in-turn will result in more high quality customers taking advantage of our products.”
