Better Collective vs Kicker

PODGO and EMP Partner for Content Lifecycle

PODGO, a podcast and creator distribution and monetization platform, announced a strategic partnership with Earned Media Productions (EMP), a content studio founded by Devon Chase Harris and Max Freedman. The integrated offering combines EMP's content development and production capabilities with PODGO's distribution and monetization infrastructure. EMP will serve as a preferred production partner for PODGO, handling podcast, video, and branded content. In turn, PODGO will be EMP's preferred distribution and monetization partner, ensuring shows have a distribution footprint and revenue strategy from launch. The partnership aims to solve the challenge of creating a sustainable media business by connecting content concept through production, distribution, and commercialization. PODGO works with over 1,000 shows, connecting creators with advertising and brand partnership opportunities across podcasting, YouTube, and social media.

• PODGO and Earned Media Productions (EMP) formed a strategic partnership.
• EMP will serve as PODGO's preferred production partner for podcasts, video, and branded content.
• PODGO will serve as EMP's preferred distribution and monetization partner.

Better Collective to launch in Alberta, Canada as regulated online sports betting and iGaming goes live

Alberta’s launch of licensed online sports betting and iGaming market on July 13, 2026, marks a new milestone in the continued expansion of regulated markets across North America. Better Collective is well positioned for this moment, bringing its data-driven sports and betting media and innovative...

How kicker Integrates Editorial Standards and Brand Partnerships

In a podcast interview with turi2, kicker's Sales Director Lukas Ringer and Editorial Director Tobias Goldbrunner discussed how the sports publisher successfully balances journalistic integrity with advertising. Rather than implementing quick, low-value ad integrations, kicker prioritizes high-quality branded content that delivers real value to readers. Despite the early exit of the German national team during the World Cup, kicker generated over 3 billion pageviews by offering deep, analytical coverage. Ringer emphasized that local and regional league results provide highly targeted, valuable audiences for advertisers, and expressed confidence in their monetization strategy despite broader industry concerns about shrinking advertising budgets.

• kicker recorded over 3 billion pageviews on its website during the World Cup period.
• Sales Director Lukas Ringer stated that kicker avoids simple logo-slapping integrations in favor of high-quality branded content.
• The publisher leverages regional and local league data to offer highly targeted audience segments to advertisers.

ARD Opens Bundesliga Audio Streams to External Partners

ARD will make its live audio reports from Bundesliga stadiums available on external media partner platforms starting with the 2026/27 season. Until now the Sportschau live commentaries were limited to ARD channels such as ARD Sounds and Sportschau.de. The expansion allows selected external publishers — named in the report as kicker, RND and Bundesliga — to carry the live audiostreams. The change broadens distribution of ARD's football audio content across third-party sites and apps. The report was published by Horizont on 2026-08-25 (author: David Hein).

• ARD will allow external media partners to publish live Bundesliga audiostreams starting in the 2026/27 season.
• Named external partners in the article are kicker, RND and Bundesliga.
• Previously, the Sportschau live reports were available only on ARD platforms like ARD Sounds and Sportschau.de.

kicker integrates ARD Sportschau Match‑Radio streams

kicker has partnered with ARD's Sportschau to integrate the broadcaster's "Match‑Radio" live audio streams into kicker.de and the kicker app for the 2026/27 Bundesliga season. The cooperation will make all 306 individual Bundesliga matches available as full‑length live audio streams directly inside kicker's match tickers as a free additional service. Streams are produced by Sportschau; the rollout begins with the season opener between FC Bayern Munich and VfB Stuttgart. Olympia‑Verlag reports the kicker's Bundesliga live tickers generate roughly ten million visits per weekend. kicker positions the move as part of a broader multimedia and audio expansion to deepen live coverage and audience engagement.

• kicker will offer live audio streams for all 306 Bundesliga matches in the 2026/27 season.
• The audio streams are produced by ARD's Sportschau and integrated into kicker.de and the kicker mobile app.
• The service is provided as a free additional feature inside kicker's individual match tickers.