Playmaker acquires the Nation Network

It’s a new day at the Nation Network.

Playmaker Capital Inc. (TSX-V: PMKR), the digital sports media company that delivers authentic content experiences through its portfolio of sports media and technology brands, announced on Wednesday the acquisition of The Nation Network and Daily Faceoff.

This is game-changing news for all FlamesNation readers, hockey fans, and loyal Nation Network citizens.

Co-founded in 2007 by CEO Jay Downton, TNN and DFO have generated over one billion pageviews since their inception and have become one of the largest online destinations for independent sports coverage in North America, with a combined annual audience of over 27 million users. TNN’s differentiated channels of distribution deliver breaking news, analysis, and fantasy projections to their highly engaged group of users, including through a subscription model, a net-new revenue stream within the Playmaker ecosystem. TNN also delivers market-leading analysis through the platforms of several key influencers, including North American hockey authority, Frank Seravalli, who joins the Playmaker family in his role as DFO’s President of Hockey Content. Mr. Seravalli also serves as the President of the Professional Hockey Writers Association and is one of the NHL’s most respected sources for breaking news and league developments.

Part of what made Wednesday’s union so attractive to Daily Faceoff and The Nation Network is Playmaker’s culture and vision.

“It’s refreshing to work with a group that understands and shares the same fan-first culture as we do, because like us, they are sports fans,” said Downton. “This is a huge momentum builder for The Nation Network as it will allow us to invest more in content creation, talent recruitment, partnerships, and strategic acquisitions, all of which will better serve and expand our amazing online community.”

For Playmaker, acquiring Daily Faceoff and The Nation Network meant planting a flag in the company’s home base of Canada, where CEO Jordan Gnat and company are uniquely positioned to capitalize on coming landmark changes in the gambling world.

In September, Daily Faceoff and The Nation Network entered into a multi-year deal positioning top-tier online gaming operator PointsBet as our exclusive sports betting partner. Through this partnership, PointsBet Canada is expected to deliver odds integrations, analysis from PointsBet experts, and access to enhanced tools to drive deeper engagement across all of our platforms.

“The acquisition of TNN and DFO is further proof that Playmaker is continuing to execute against its plan to acquire and roll up valuable, profitable digital media assets that cover major sports in important markets,” said Jordan Gnat, Playmaker CEO. “TNN is Playmaker’s first acquisition in our home market of Canada, giving Playmaker true audience reach from the top of Canada to the bottom of Argentina. This is particularly important in Canada as we look towards Q1 2022 when third party sports betting operators will be permitted to operate in Ontario.”