Apollo is contemplating merging Yahoo Sports activities with betting firms, sources say

Apollo International Administration, the personal fairness agency that acquired Yahoo from Verizon for $5 billion final yr, is in preliminary talks with sports activities betting firms to mix its belongings with Yahoo Sports activities, based on folks accustomed to the matter.

One of many firms Yahoo has spoken to is Australia-based PointsBet Holdings, which has a market valuation of about $760 million, the folks mentioned, asking to not be named as a result of the talks are personal.

All talks at this level are early days, and no deal is imminent, folks mentioned. Yahoo hasn’t settled on a goal but and might not be pursuing a deal, folks mentioned. Spokespersons for Apollo and PointsBet declined to remark.

Apollo and Yahoo are contemplating merging Yahoo Sports activities with an current sports activities betting firm, a transfer that might in the end lead to a Yahoo Sports activities spin-off, two of the folks mentioned. If a deal goes by means of, the brand new firm would possible retain the Yahoo branding, folks mentioned.

Yahoo was an early supplier of fantasy sports activities instruments and nonetheless has tens of millions of gamers who’re possible crossover candidates for legalized sports activities betting. Legalized cellular sports activities video games are slowly spreading throughout the nation and are actually operational in 19 states.

The sports activities betting trade has plummeted in latest months as plenty of firms have made it more and more costly to amass clients by means of important advertising and marketing prices and promotional affords. Earlier this month, DraftKings was forecasting 2022 earnings earlier than curiosity, taxes, depreciation and amortization of $825 million to $925 million — beating consensus estimates of about $570 million. Quick vendor Jim Chanos advised CNBC in December he went brief DraftKings due to its “insane” advertising and marketing spend.

“You possibly can consider in sports activities betting… however this enterprise mannequin is flawed,” Chanos mentioned.

Smaller listed sportsbooks like PointsBet and Rush Avenue Interactive have slumped over the previous yr as they battle to compete with trade leaders DraftKings, FanDuel and BetMGM. Caesars and its personal asset William Hill, Fox Wager and Rust Avenue’s BetRivers are amongst different rivals competing for customers within the low-margin sports activities betting enterprise.

PointsBet has teamed up with former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees for a collection of tv commercials which have aired on networks together with broadcast community NBC. Comcast’s NBCUniversal entered right into a multi-year partnership with PointsBet in 2020. Yahoo additionally has an current betting partnership with BetMGM. It is unclear how current partnership agreements could be affected by future mergers.

“Everyone seems to be speaking to everybody proper now,” mentioned one govt, who requested to not be named. “There needs to be a consolidation.”

Intense competitors has prompted firms to supply first-time customers a whole bunch and even 1000’s of {dollars} in free cash to join their functions.

Whereas Yahoo is eager to run its personal sportsbook, Disney’s ESPN isn’t considering working a playing enterprise, based on folks accustomed to the matter. Disney has held licensing talks that might see a sportsbook firm branded with the ESPN title, but it surely hasn’t sought to purchase a gaming firm, folks mentioned. An ESPN spokesman declined to remark.

Apollo acquired Yahoo final yr to develop and streamline the enterprise after Verizon acquired it and merged it with AOL in 2017. Former Tinder chief govt officer Jim Lanzone was named CEO of Yahoo in September. Apollo is now searching for heads of its Yahoo Sports activities and Yahoo Finance items who will report back to Lanzone, based on folks accustomed to the matter.

Disclosure: Comcast’s NBCUniversal is the guardian firm of CNBC.

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