Better Collective to Acquire Multiple Brands in Sweden

Better Collective, the famous digital sports media group, announced a new acquisition, seeking to strengthen significantly its presence in an important European jurisdiction. The company has announced it will bolster its Swedish presence by acquiring a handful of brands from Everysport Group. Judging by a statement released by Better Collective, the company will be able to reach an audience of 9 million monthly visitors thanks to the acquisition.

In a deal with a price tag of €3.7 million, payable over three installments, Better Collective will acquire the brands SvenskaFans.com, HockeySverige.se, Fotbolldirekt.se as well as Innebandymagazinet.se. The landmark acquisition is expected to significantly strengthen the company’s position in the European country, allowing it to reach millions of monthly users, including bettors and sports aficionados.

The leading digital sports media group revealed that the acquisition will be financed with cash. According to the company, the strategic business combination is expected to deliver synergies in 2024. However, Better Collective did not update its current 2023 financial targets in light of the announced takeover. Recently, the company strengthened its team with the addition of Rene Schroder to the role of editor in chief.

Hannes Andersson, Everysport’s CEO, explained that the company is delighted to grow the presence of the aforementioned websites to leadership positions in Sweden. “In addition, we have successfully commercialized the brands and in all cases also turned a negative financial development into good profitability,” he said. Finally, Andersson predicted further growth for Better Collective and wished a bright future for the acquired brands and their teams.

The Acquisition Expands the Company’s Footprint

Currently, SvenskaFans is famous as the biggest online sports fans community in Sweden. The brand was founded more than two decades ago, in 2000, and delivers a plethora of content for fans of different sports. Bringing unique activations and reports, SvenskaFans has an active YouTube channel and enjoys approximately 5 million monthly visits.

On the other hand, HockeySverige.se is known as the most popular news website for ice hockey in the country. It helps distribute news and reports, covering hockey events around the globe, including the NHL, HockeyAllsvenskan and Swedish Hockey League, among others. HockeySverige.se is known to have an estimated 2.2 million monthly visits and it benefits from monetization via subscriptions and advertising.

As the name suggests, Fotbolldirekt.se focuses on Swedish soccer and it covers international as well as national events. The website benefits from subscriptions, as well as advertising and has approximately 1.1 million monthly visits.

Finally, InnebandyMagazinet is also focused on soccer and is known as one of the biggest websites for the vertical. Benefitting from advertising and subscriptions, InnebandyMagazinet has approximately 500,000 monthly visits.

“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.“

Jesper Søgaard, CEO of Better Collective

Jesper Søgaard, Better Collective’s CEO, explained that an important part of the company’s growth strategy is the acquisition of leading sports media brands which is why this acquisition marks the perfect fit. Looking at the future, he predicted further growth for the brands and the company in Sweden. Finally, Søgaard said that Better Collective has a vision to become the go-to provider for brands that want to engage with more sports fans and benefit from increased exposure.