The Independent has agreed a major commercial deal to become the UK media partner of Gambling.com Group, one of the world’s leading businesses in the gambling industry. This multi-year eCommerce partnership further builds on the revenue diversification and growth of The Independent’s income streams that do not rely on traditional advertising.
The deal follows the recent announcement of The Independent’s annual results, which showed revenue growth of 12%, including 44% growth in eCommerce revenues last year. This record year of growth was driven by investment in Independent TV (the brand’s extensive multiplatform video business), eCommerce, reader revenues, and its US operations.
As a result of growth in revenue from non-advertising sources, including eCommerce, licensing, syndication and reader revenues, the majority of The Independent’s revenue no longer comes from traditional advertising, with 57% from non-advertising revenue sources last year.
Gambling.com Group, which is listed on Nasdaq Global Market in the United States (Nasdaq: GAMB), delivers in-depth and expert sports betting content for sports enthusiasts through its proprietary technology stack. The Group also has extensive and successful experience of operating within global governance guidelines and gambling regulations. This is the first media partnership Gambling.com Group has entered outside of the US, following its agreements with The McClatchy Company and Gannett, two of the largest US newspaper publishers.
The strategic partnership combines Gambling.com Group’s leading expertise with The Independent’s unique reach and engagement. In choosing The Independent, Gambling.com Group recognises the title’s position as the biggest quality digital title in the UK, with over 22 million unique monthly users.
This partnership is a significant step in The Independent’s plan to expand its business into new markets. It follows the refresh of the IndyBest eCommerce offering, and further media partnerships with world-renowned brands, from the energy company E.On Next to global entertainment events such as the Montreux Jazz Festival.
Christian Broughton, managing director of The Independent, said: “I’m delighted to be working with Gambling.com Group, a leading global brand with extensive experience in this sector. Being chosen as their first non-US partner demonstrates The Independent’s scale, robust model and global brand presence. Our most recent annual results showed that the majority of our revenue is now no longer dependent on traditional advertising, and the expansion of eCommerce partnerships is crucial in creating a regular, reliable revenue base upon which to build the future of our thriving media brand.”
Charles Gillespie, chief executive officer of Gambling.com Group, said: “Combining our proprietary data science platform and award-winning content team with leading media brands like The Independent is a proven recipe for success, as our existing media partnerships demonstrate. We look forward to collaborating with and driving new revenue for The Independent through this best-in-class media alliance.”
