Latest News
PLAYMAKER ACQUIRES MAJOR NORTH AMERICAN SPORTS MEDIA DESTINATION YARDBARKER AND EMAIL NEWSLETTER ‘THE MORNING BARK’
Playmaker Capital Inc. (TSX-V: PMKR) (“Playmaker”) is pleased to announce today that it has acquired the California-based sports and entertainment digital media business, YB Media LLC (d.b.a. Yardbarker) (“Yardbarker”). With its comprehensive North American sports and entertainment focus and highly engaged fan base, Yardbarker represents an integral pillar of Playmaker’s growth ambitions and a strong platform from which it will continue to expand its U.S. presence and build its global sports media ecosystem.
Yardbarker is a premier U.S. sports and entertainment media platform, attracting over four million unique users per month and generating more than nine million total sessions across its primarily NFL, NBA, MLB, College Sports, and NHL content offerings. The company’s core editorial focus is to create and surface timely, engaging, and relevant news and analysis to its users in a fun and efficient format. The platform publishes over 25,000 full-text articles per month through a combination of its in-house editorial team and 125+ content syndication partner sites, while also augmenting traditional coverage with a collection of over 5,000 sports and entertainment quizzes and slideshows. The unique content mix allows Yardbarker to offer a differentiated user experience and generate high engagement and interaction rates among its audiences.
The Morning Bark, Yardbarker’s daily email newsletter, reaches more than 350,000 subscribers with open rates in excess of 25%. The all-in-one email product features a Top 10 rundown of the most important stories of the day and a customizable newsfeed that allows users to keep track of their favourite sports, schools and teams. A significant driver of traffic to the website, The Morning Bark serves as a low-cost, repeatable, first-party user acquisition tool.
“We believe that Playmaker is in the process of building the next great collection of digital sports assets and we couldn’t be more excited to be joining at this early stage,” Yardbarker’s CEO Ben Maggin said. “We look forward to working with the Playmaker team to continue expanding Yardbarker’s reach and deliver the best possible service to our fans.”
Yardbarker was founded in 2006 and its three current owners, Jeff Kloster, Mark Johns and Ben Maggin, bring deep experience and knowledge of the digital sports media arena to the Playmaker senior leadership team.
“We are delighted to welcome Yardbarker to the Playmaker family. This is a U.S. platform acquisition for us that is not only transformational, but also immediately financially accretive to our shareholders,” commented Jordan Gnat, Playmaker Founder and CEO. “Ben, Jeff and Mark have built a great business with incredibly loyal fans. Playmaker will be able to leverage Yardbarker’s content of all the key North American sports within our current Futbol Sites’ assets and vice versa. This is how we will build our ecosystem. We will cross pollinate our various properties to provide all our fans globally with the best content on all sports.”
Transaction Details
Pursuant to the terms of a letter of intent dated June 7, 2021, and a purchase agreement dated July 26, 2021, Playmaker acquired 100% of Yardbarker for aggregate consideration of up to US$24 million. The purchase price consideration consisted of a payment of US$10 million in cash and the issuance of US$8 million of Playmaker common shares (the “Initial Shares”) on closing, an additional US$2 million of Playmaker common shares (the “Contingent Shares”) to be issued to the sellers upon Yardbarker achieving a minimum EBITDA of US$1.5 million within the 12-month period following closing and up to US$2 million, payable to the sellers based on Yardbarker’s performance toward an EBITDA target of US$2.5 million in each of the two years following closing. The Initial Shares were priced at the equivalent of CAD$0.55 per share. The Contingent Shares will be priced at the greater of CAD$0.60 per share or the trailing 30 day average, volume adjusted, share price of the common shares of Playmaker prior to such issuance.
For the 2021 calendar year, Yardbarker is anticipated to generate revenue of approximately US$5 million.
The acquisition of Yardbarker by Playmaker is a non-arms-length transaction and there is no finder’s fee to be distributed. Playmaker will not be assuming any long-term debt in connection with the transaction.
Incentive Games, a leading B2B games provider specialising in player acquisition and retention, today announced it has received full certification from Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) to offer its Pay-to-Play games in the Brazilian market.
This certification encompasses Incentive Games’ entire suite of games, random number generator (RNG), and remote gaming service (RGS), paving the way for the company to expand its reach into the thriving Brazilian gaming market.
Stewart Gove, COO of Incentive Games, commented, “This GLI certification is a huge milestone for us, and a testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire Incentive Games team. It demonstrates our commitment to delivering the highest quality and most secure gaming experiences to players worldwide. We are delighted to now offer our P2P games to licensed operators in the dynamic Brazilian market.”
Piggy Blitz sequel now exclusively available with DraftKings and Golden Nugget in Michigan, New Jersey, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut
Play’n GO, the world’s leading casino entertainment provider, has announced the exclusive US network release of its hit title, Piggy Blitz Disco Gold.
Piggy Blitz Disco Gold is a sequel to Piggy Blitz, which took the US by storm in 2024. Piggy Blitz Disco Gold sees the piggies move from breaking piggy banks to busting disco moves on the dance floor in a bid to collect Cash Coins and pile up Instant Rewards in a high-stakes dance-off.
The game is now exclusively available with DraftKings and Golden Nugget in the states of Michigan, New Jersey, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut until February 5th.
Anna Mackney, Head of Regional Sales US at Play’n GO added “Piggy Blitz was such a hit in the US last year, we couldn’t wait to release this eagerly anticipated sequel. Piggy Blitz Disco Gold has already hit the ground running since its release last week, and we’re excited to expand our US games portfolio with such a high-quality title.”
FBMDS proudly announces its certification to operate in the Brazilian iGaming market, marking a significant milestone in its global expansion strategy. This achievement reinforces FBMDS’s leadership in the video bingo category and its commitment to deliver spotless quality, innovation and compliance to Brazilian operators and players.
With this certification, FBMDS becomes one of the few iGaming providers authorized to deliver certified, high-quality games tailored to the Brazilian market in which the brand is deeply enrooted because of its cultural background. This development not only strengthens the brand’s position in a rapidly growing sector but also offers Brazilian players and operators access to a portfolio of games that combine cutting-edge technology, cultural match, and world-class security standards.
“This certification represents a pivotal moment in our journey,” said Renato Almeida, Director at FBMDS. “It demonstrates our commitment to the Brazilian market, ensuring a safe, exciting, and fully compliant gaming experience for players, while empowering operators with premium certified content that drives engagement and growth.”
For FBMDS, this milestone aligns with its 2025 narrative: a roadmap focused on market expansion, innovation, and leadership in key iGaming segments. Brazil’s rapidly expanding market provides a prime opportunity to bring FBMDS’s renowned expertise in video bingo to a whole different level.
For operators, FBMDS’ certified games provide assurance of compliance with Brazilian regulations, while its innovative products and collections are designed to captivate players and drive business growth.
On what Brazilian players is concerned, online casino gaming enthusiasts can look forward to a personalized gaming experience that reflects their culture, preferences, and expectations, underpinned by the highest standards of excellence and safety.
Following this certification, FBMDS will launch a series of targeted marketing campaigns, event participations such as the SBC Summit Rio, in Rio de Janeiro, this February, and direct engagements with new clients. In the first quarter, FBMDS plans to strengthen its partnerships with operators and expand its footprint in Brazil through strategic initiatives and localized offerings.
FBMDS has long been a pioneer in the video bingo category, delivering innovative, culturally relevant titles that resonate with global audiences. Certification in Brazil is simply the recognition of its expertise and dedication to raising the bar in iGaming. By aligning its operations with local regulatory requirements, FBMDS ensures that its games offer a seamless, enjoyable experience while meeting the market’s unique demands.
-
Latest News6 days agoPush Gaming makes market entry with several operators in Brazil
-
Compliance Updates5 days agoBF Games Makes Strategic Entry into Brazilian Market
-
Compliance Updates6 days agoEvoplay strengthens Brazilian market entry with RNG validation
-
Latest News6 days agoGaming Corps makes debut in regulated Brazil
-
Latest News3 days agoPlaza Hotel & Casino offering free stalls to temporarily rehome horses affected by the California wildfires
-
Affiliate Industry3 days agoMetaBet inks Gentoo Media partnership to enhance flagship sites
-
Compliance Updates4 days agoBragg Gaming is Live in Brazil’s Regulated iGaming Market
-
Interviews6 days agoPatricio Molloy: WA.Technology is ready to raise the bar for LatAm in 2025