Affiliate Industry
Better Collective Expands its Swedish Position with Acquisition of Leading Sports Media Brands Including SvenskaFans.com and HockeySverige.se
Digital sports media group Better Collective has strengthened its position in Sweden through the strategic acquisition of four flagship sports media brands from Everysport Group. The acquired brands include SvenskaFans, HockeySverige.se, Fotbolldirekt.se and Innebandymagazinet.se with a combined reach of 9 million monthly visits from dedicated Swedish sports enthusiasts.
Jesper Søgaard, CEO of Better Collective, said: “An important pillar in Better Collective’s strategy is to acquire leading national sports media with strong brands and a loyal and returning following. That’s why these sports media brands fit perfectly into our portfolio. We expect the media to deliver additional growth for our business in Sweden, adding to our leading market position within affiliation and expansion towards general advertisement. We are very excited to bring onboard one of the strongest sports news teams in Sweden and make them part of Better Collective. With our vision to become the leading digital sports media group, we want to be the go-to partner for any brand wanting to gain exposure and engagement among sport fans. This acquisition takes us one step further on that journey.”
SvenskaFans is Sweden’s biggest online sports fan community. SvenskaFans was founded in 2000 and covers everything from top-tier football and ice hockey to local leagues across Sweden. Over the past 23 years, the sports media brand has grown a large loyal following through user-generated content such as game reports, interviews, chronicles and podcasts, with currently over 750 active contributors, and a popular YouTube channel, FanTV. The website has around 5 million monthly visits and solely monetizes through advertising (CPM).
HockeySverige.se is the largest ice hockey news website in Sweden featuring news and reports from the world of hockey including the National Hockey League (NHL), Champions Hockey League (CHL), Swedish Hockey League (SHL) and HockeyAllsvenskan. Boosted by a popular YouTube channel and strong social media presence, HockeySverigie.se has around 2.2 million monthly visits, monetized through advertising (CPM) and subscriptions.
Fotbolldirekt.se is a leading Swedish football media outlet covering news and reports from national as well as international football. The website has around 1.1 million monthly visits and monetizes through advertising and subscriptions.
InnebandyMagazinet is the biggest floorball news site covering the Swedish leagues and national teams. The sports media has around 500,000 monthly visits and monetizes through subscription and advertising (CPM).
Hannes Andersson, CEO of Everysport Group, said: “We are proud to have developed the websites into some of Sweden’s largest news media in their respective sports. In addition, we have successfully commercialized the brands and in all cases also turned a negative financial development into good profitability. Today’s deal confirms Everysport’s digital innovation and execution capabilities and is a logical next step for both the brands and the Group. We are convinced that Better Collective is a strong and long-term owner who will continue to develop the brands in a meritorious way. We wish both them and the employees all the best.”
The total purchase price will be 3.7 mEUR paid in three instalments and will be financed with cash.