USA Today integrates F2P sports betting games across network of news sites
Media giant establishes gaming vertical to offer live odds and free-to-play contests to 173 million monthly users
US media giant USA Today Sports Media Group has secured a deal with Chalkline Sports to produce a host of free-to-play (F2P) sports betting games to drive audience engagement across its digital platforms. The news agency has established a gaming vertical with the intention of offering daily sports contests, live odds, player props, and exclusive games on all the major sports leagues in the US. As part of its deal with Chalkline, USA Today will also establish local sports contests to be made available across its local news sites. The games will be integrated directly into the media outlet’s user database to allow for seamless single user registration across its network. Chris Pirrone, VP and general manager of USA Today Sports Media Group, said: “We have 60 million passionate sports fans visiting our properties each month that love our national, local, and vertical sports content. “Providing these fans with contests that test their knowledge predicting scoring and player props across the daily slate of pro and college games is a great next step to deeper fan engagement,” he added. The former print media giant shifted its sights to online and established its USA Today Sports publication in 2010. It delivers daily news coverage across multiple digital networks with a total reach of 173 million monthly users. The USA Today app has received more than 25 million downloads.