This week’s round-up of the latest mergers and acquisitions, partnerships, and account moves includes Optimove, Omnicom, and Midnite.
Deal Desk rounds-up the latest moves across the global affiliate and digital marketing industry and why it matters.
This week, Optimove partners with Odditt; Omnicom merges two media agencies; and Midnite renews partnership with The Sun. There is also a new round-up of movers and shakers within igaming industry.
Optimove partners with Odditt
Optimove is partnering with Odditt, a content engine for sports betting – to power personalised betting content.
Optimove is one of the leading player engagement solutions, and operators using the service will soon be able to embed Odditt’s contextualised bets and parlays within player messages at scale. This can help to improve discovery, engagement, and reactivation rates.
Oddity already generates over 100,000 contextualised parlays and individual bets per day, operating over 115 leagues, in 45 countries – with a wealth of historical data. This is then combined with real-time context like weather, rivalries, and player storylines.
Optimove currently deploys an AI Decisioning Agent to determine which player to message, when, and which channel to do this through.
Oddit will now add the bet itself – a fresh, story-driven pick tied to that player’s teams, leagues, and interests.
Matt Bresler, chief executive and co-founder of Odditt said: “Most marketing teams are very good at knowing who to talk to, when, and where, thanks to powerful marketing solutions like Optimove. What goes inside the message is where most get stuck.
“Optimove sends the message, and together, we make sure there’s a story-driven bet inside it, built around what that specific player actually cares about. That’s the difference between a promotion someone ignores and a recommendation that inspires them to take action.”
Leaders take
These two organisations are complimentary to each other, and combining the extensive amount of data held by the Optimove and Oddit is likely to be very effective – offering a highly personalised and targeted experience for players and audiences.
When more data is integrated into a platform, the experience for customers naturally becomes more relevant. This meets fans where they are and turns generic discounts into personalised bets that users can act on.
Omnicom trademarks new agency name
Omnicom has trademarked a new agency name, Hearts United, following the merger between media agencies Hearts & Science and MediaHub.
It’s not clear if this will be the name of the new merged agency.
A spokesperson for the network said: “Omnicom regularly evaluates and protects a variety of trademarks and brand names as part of its ordinary business activities. We do not comment on speculation regarding potential business plans, rebranding initiatives, or trade mark filings. No final decisions have been announced.”
Leaders take
While it’s not been confirmed this will indeed be the new name chosen by Omnicom for the two agencies, what is clear is that the holding company is cleaning shop since its merger with IPG. It’s no surprise that two media agencies are being folded into one – and they are preserving the name just in case.
As for the name, it feels a little like a football charity or a fashion brand – although it’s the sort of trendy, vaguely positive sounding name that seems to be all the rage.
Midnite renews Sun Dream Team partnership
The Sun Dream Team, the largest commercial fantasy football game in the UK, has partnered with Midnite for a second season.
Midnite will look to give users a ‘dynamic experience’ guided by the Sun Sport’s news and analysis to inform team selections.
The upcoming 2026/2027 season is offering a £60,000 prize for the user that can demonstrate the ultimate knowledge of player performance across a range of competitions, along with other cash prizes and improved gameplay.
Andrew Mook, Midnite’s head of brand marketing, said: “After a successful first season of the partnership, we are delighted to be a part of one of the UK’s most iconic fantasy football games for another season by extending our agreement with The Sun Dream Team.
“Fantasy football is such an important part of the football fan’s experience of the game throughout the season, providing additional excitement to games where punters are hoping their chosen player will score that all important goal or secure a valuable clean sheet. We want to be part of that experience and make it even better.”
Leaders take
Midnite is fast becoming a significant player in the sports and betting industry, and is investing heavily in the entertainment side of sports.
This renewed partnership pushes the prediction market site to the forefront of the most popular sport in the UK, along with the front-of-shirt sponsorships for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Sheffield United, and Middlesbrough.
iGaming movers and shakers
This week, Virtual Gaming Worlds (VGW) announced it will permanently close LuckyLand Slots on 14 September, closing the door on an eight-year run for one of the industry’s best known brands. This will not affect VGW’s other products – LuckyLand Casino, Global Poker or Chumba Casino.
Elsewhere, Play North has been granted an online gambling licence in Portugal. This is a major breakthrough in the organisation’s push to expand into regulated European markets. The team is planning to launch a brand new online casino for Portuguese players, Vincino.
Other notable news
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched an investigation into Microsoft after concerns that customers may not be being given clear information about subscription options upfront.
This applies to Microsoft 365 personal and family plans. Customers were allegedly automatically enrolled in more expensive plans when their subscription period ended.
