The paper reaches more than 9.2 million unique digital users every month via online content, according to XLMedia.
Through its media partnership business (MPB) segment, XLMedia offers commercial sports betting content and advertiser relationships to several publishers across the US and Canada.
“The partnership with AJC represents another significant win for XLMedia’s MPB, expanding the group’s already established footprint in Georgia and the Southern states of the US,” the affiliate said.
The new agreement will allow AJC to capture new revenue streams, it added, while XLMedia will benefit from access to its national readership in legal sports betting markets.
“This deal positions us well to drive new revenue in legal Southern states such as Kentucky and North Carolina whilst also enabling us to reach Georgia’s large sports fan base if sports betting is legalised.”
– XLMedia CEO David King
Further, the deal positions XLMedia to capitalise on any future developments in Georgia including the possible legalisation of sports betting in the state.
“We are delighted to partner with Atlanta Journal-Constitution, an exceptional and well-established brand in digital publishing and news reporting,” said XLMedia CEO David King.
“This deal positions us well to drive new revenue in legal Southern states such as Kentucky and North Carolina whilst also enabling us to reach Georgia’s large sports fan base if sports betting is legalised.
Sports betting in Georgia
Earlier this year, lawmakers in Georgia tried and failed for the fourth year in a row to legalise sports betting in the state.
The next opportunity to propose new sports betting legislation will come in 2024, which if successful would likely be subsequently passed onto the state’s citizens for a vote to approve or disapprove.
Previous attempts to legalise sports betting gained some momentum in the state, but ultimately failed to receive approval from both the House and Senate.
Georgia remains one of the few US states that does not offer either commercial or tribal casinos.
XLMedia’s US expansion
This deal is the latest from XLMedia intended to help the business grow its presence in the US.
In December 2022, the company signed a nationwide US sports betting content partnership with global publishing brand Newsweek.
Since then, it has signed another strategic partnership with North Carolina-based premium news brand Capitol Broadcasting Company, while also establishing a new hybrid revenue share partnership with bet365 across North America.
In H1 2023, XLMedia’s revenue fell by almost 34% year-on-year as its performance failed to live up to a busy first half of 2022.
North American sports betting revenue fell from $30.2m to $16.2m during the period.
