Five key trends across a summer of sport

With a bumper period of top-class international football now underway, Checkd Media Managing Director Alex Beecham picks out a series of talking points as operators look to engage with as wide an audience as possible.

Free-to-play: We expect free-to-play contests to play a major part within acquisition and retention strategies for operators all over the world this summer. There is naturally a buzz of anticipation ahead of tournaments like Euro 2024 and the Copa America and the right kind of FTP experience can attract new customers while also re-engaging with existing ones.

Bet builders: These types of betting propositions are increasingly popular with punters – who enjoy the pre-packaged, easy-to-select bets that feature star names – as well as operators, thanks to their increased margins. Pitching these bets to football betting audiences at the right times will be massively important.

The glut of games: Euro 2024 offers up to four matches a day during the early group stages. With the Copa America running alongside it, there are days when football fans can enjoy five high-class international matches, almost back-to-back. By rolling out same-day bet builders, operators can tap into the carnival of football across both Europe and Latin America.

Data-led insights: Through our work on Smart Acca and Smart Picks, we have seen at Checkd Group how powerful data can be in informing betting decisions. In an expanded competition like Euro 2024, which now features 24 teams, operators will be keen to increase interest around lesser-known teams and players. Empowering bettors with data, presented to them in an easy-to-digest format, can help achieve this.

Worldwide appeal: With the Copa America taking place in the United States this summer, we are expecting to see increased betting activity for matches that will take place in New Jersey, Orlando and Las Vegas, to name but a few major cities. With so many Premier League stars in action in both major tournaments, operators and affiliates will also be well aware of the potential for increased activity in other regions where football is popular, not least Africa.?