SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
In an era defined by dynamic shifts in technology and consumer behaviour, FairPlay Sports Media stands at the forefront of innovation, continually redefining the landscape of sports media and affiliate partnerships. We had the privilege of sitting down with Kelly Brooks, Chief Product Officer at FairPlay Sports Media, to gain invaluable insights into their strategies, philosophies, and vision for the future.
Brooks shares her perspectives on leveraging technology, fostering engaging content, and the importance of responsible gaming tactics. She also delves into the criteria for selecting partners and explores emerging trends shaping the affiliate marketing landscape. Furthermore, she provides a glimpse into FairPlay’s expansion strategies, highlighting recent acquisitions and the company’s ambitious plans for growth in key geographic locations.
SBC: Can you offer an overview of the products provided by FairPlay Sports Media, as well as the affiliate sites within your arsenal?
Kelly Brooks: At FairPlay Sports Media, we are continuously innovating and evolving on the product side. It is driving all of our roadmaps for future scale. BetTech serves as our technology core, which we are constructing daily. We are developing proprietary historical data sets, micro and macro predictive analysis, adtech, and globalisation platforms that propel our identity as the world’s most comprehensive sports media network.
With the integration of AI into our BetTech portfolio, we are committing to initiatives such as personalisation, quality content, engagement components, as well as white-labelled products that will ensure our partners and customers have access to the most progressive technology.
Within our portfolio, we have, of course, our UK and US OddsChecker properties, WhoScored, SuperScommese, and I must mention the Confido Network, where we are aligning our internal platforms to provide the publisher network with technologies and tools that these publishers would not normally have access to.
Collectively, our advertising and partnership platforms power properties that reach tens of millions of users a month, and we are very committed to scaling that further.
SBC: How does FairPlay Sports Media leverage technology and innovation to enhance the sports media experience for audiences?
KB: We are empowering our network, users and partners with differentiated and globalised engagement tools and technologies. These critical and scalable assets are defined by the term ‘BetTech.’ The FairPlay brands will all be aligned to use data, technology, and AI to deliver live and top-quality sports content, insights and analysis, pricing, and tips and bonuses to sports fans.
There are three key business areas that define FairPlay’s ambitions. The first is audience engagement via better data and content, empowering users to make immediate and informed decisions with confidence. The second revolves around operators-as-customers and the supporting ecosystem. How do we drive brand and consumer loyalty for them? We want to move beyond just odds and offer a full suite of analytical data and quality products that promote lifetime value (LTV). The third is the network element. How do we connect the sports audiences and operators, utilising data, artificial intelligence and technology? In January of this year, my company Quarter4, a deep learning neural network, was acquired by FairPlay. This is an example of our commitment to integrating progressive technology into everything we do.
SBC: How do you approach the balance between creating engaging content for your audience and meeting the specific needs of your affiliate partnerships?
KB: There is no ‘balance’ when it comes to quality of content. It is the priority. It is the gateway to successful partnerships because ultimately, it is what the audience and the search engines will be attracted to. Affiliates should be partner and user-obsessed when it comes to content. Aim for virality and differentiation. Empower partners by offering them a trusted platform that aligns with their own brand but leverages it in new ways to attract the most well-suited audience.
We all know that Google algorithms are impacting everything we do on the affiliate side. At FairPlay, content quality is still the answer. A good content brief supported by expert writers is ultimately the gold standard. However, there are ways to utilise AI for efficiency processes that don’t result in penalties. We have a progressive team constantly assessing to ensure we are on the right side of the algorithms but still pushing technological boundaries to evolve. This ensures our partners and our brand are getting the constant attention they require.
SBC: In your opinion, what are the key elements that make an affiliate brand stand out in a crowded market?
KB: Excellent content and engagement opportunities, outstanding SEO capabilities, a deep understanding of the audience by location, and being user and data-obsessed are essential. Ultimately, the goal is to build a loyal following by delivering value to the consumer. This will result in deepening the brand and leveraging satisfaction to partners in multiple ways.
Additionally, the teams driving the brand need to have a grasp on the evolution of the marketplace to satisfy consumers and partners. For example, in the UK, where we have a deep history and a more mature market, share of wallet is the focus. Our tactics, tools and content revolve around this. In the US, new registrations are obviously a priority, but if we want to drive evolution there, we have to really think about engagement, LTV, and how that is going to play a role in the marketplace.
The FairPlay-owned Confido Network is a key differentiator for us and is a perfect example of how we empower tens of thousands of smaller to midsize publishers to succeed and evolve in this highly competitive marketplace. Confido is a data-driven network, dedicated to helping publishers and advertisers manage their partnerships to optimise their earnings and to maximise their reach. The core value of this business is reporting transparency, access to a full suite of tools and products that can propel the publisher’s property and finally, the customer service and education piece that comes along with that.
SBC: What criteria does FairPlay Sports Media consider when selecting betting partners to collaborate with?
KB: We take partnerships very seriously, and we have various forms of due diligence to ensure they are trustworthy, reputable, transparent, adherent to regulation, and other policy-based criteria. They need to be aligned with the FairPlay vision of fairness to the consumer.
Additionally, our partners should demonstrate that product quality is a priority. If we deliver poor experiences to our users via our partner products, we risk losing credibility as a brand. One final mention, is that a partner’s dedication to technology evolution is also a plus. If they understand the power that technology drives, then our full suite of offerings can bring a whole new level of differentiation and quality to their brand.
SBC: As the affiliate marketing landscape evolves, what emerging trends do you see shaping the future of building brands through content and customisation?
KB: Personalised content, curated experiences, and differentiated offerings are at the core of FairPlay’s philosophy. We believe in enhancing or delivering solutions for our partners that they may not be able to achieve independently. We aim to elevate them by leveraging our technical prowess and deep expertise in the space.
In our industry, responsible gaming tactics need to evolve and become a mandate for every brand. How can we use technology to ensure that our properties facilitate the delivery and implementation of this messaging? Personalisation via technology can play a major role here.
SBC: Could you expand on which geographic locations are currently the main focus for your company, and what strategies you have in place for future development/expansion?
KB: We are a global organisation and we are establishing and dominating footprint in various locations. An example is our recent acquisition of SuperScommese. With that purchase, we can establish our position as Italy’s leading sports betting advertising company. SuperScommesse has added existing media partnerships with Gazzetta and DAZN, which leverage tens of millions of unique users and two popular TV shows as well. It also adds to the power of our Confido network, which covers over 1000 deals with over 200 global operators.
When you combine these strategic acquisitions with the BetTech empire that FairPlay is creating, our scale opportunity is very impressive.
SBC: What are you looking forward to at the SBC Summit North America, and who are you looking forward to connecting with during the event?
KB: I am very keen to attend this event as I will be wearing two hats. As a technology entrepreneur who has built start-ups, I am keen to learn about evolving tech trends in this space. I love the ingenuity that these teams bring to the table. It teaches us a lot about future possibilities. Additionally, now that I am the Chief Product Officer for FairPlay, I carry pride in that role and am excited to discuss our ambitions with potential partners in the US marketplace.
