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Affiliate Monitor Executive summary
Steady as she goes
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Emerging from under a regulatory cloud , the UK affiliate scene is looking somewhat healthier than in recent years with both Better Collective and Gambling . com Group seeing promising immediate returns from recent UK-focused acquisitions .
Others in the US affiliate space agree that a new stability in the UK picture makes it attractive for affiliates . But they caution that a new wave of M & A is unlikely . Instead , they expect the larger affiliate organisations to cherry-pick from a wider range of sports media assets .
In the wider world of affiliate M & A , Better Collective said in its second quarter earnings call that the Playmaker HQ deal completed last year has underperformed expectations and the company has renegotiated the earnout on more favourable terms .
As with Q1 , the issues caused by Google ’ s move against third party content – a change which in particular hit the rankings of the content affiliates produce for global media partners – turned out to not be as impactful
“ A new stability in the UK picture makes it attractive for affiliates ” in terms of earnings as was previously feared .
Gambling . com Group said that while one US-based media partnership was hit hard by Google ’ s policy moves , it won ’ t mean the end of such partnership deals ; instead , it just means that such deals will now evolve .
One big change that will have taken place by the time this report is published is the split of GiG ’ s affiliate arm from its platform supply business . The media segment will now be renamed Gentoo Media . And going by its second quarter earnings , the company will be taking to life as an independent entity with a healthy tailwind .
Notably still struggling to convince as a newly refocused US-facing entity , Catena Media and its new CEO will be hoping the tide will turn on the last quarter of the year after its second quarter showed the company continuing to go backwards in terms of revenues and profits . iGB Affiliate Monitor