Joe Huddle Interview with Better Collective CEO Jesper Søgaard

Impact of COVID-19 on the Affiliate Sector

• Sports Betting: Significant impact due to the temporary halt of sports activities.
• Online Casino: Increase in online casino activities due to the closure of land-based casinos.
• eSports: Notable growth, especially due to Better Collective's acquisition of HLTV.org (leading Counter-Strike: GO community site).
• Cost Management: Better Collective reviewed and adjusted their cost base to maintain a lean operation during uncertain times.

Key Trends During the Pandemic

• Virtual Sports and eSports: Both saw growth, but eSports maintained steady interest post-initial surge.
• Table Tennis Betting: Gained unexpected popularity during lockdowns.
• Bundesliga's Resumption: Global interest surged as it was the first major football league to resume.

Football's Return and Betting Trends

• Home Team Advantage: Diminished without crowds.
• German Bundesliga: Saw unprecedented global interest upon its return.
• Champions League 2020: Expecting intense betting activity despite potential lower average interest per game due to condensed schedule.
• Euro 2020 Impact: Delay until summer 2021 may affect the scale of betting events.

Future Plans and Expectations for Better Collective

• M&A Pipeline: Continues to have a healthy pipeline for mergers and acquisitions.
• VegasInsider.com Relaunch: New site version to be ready for the NFL season in September.
• Ongoing Development: Focus on further development of HLTV.org post-acquisition.
• Sector Stability: Confidence in the affiliate sector's resilience but acknowledges increased uncertainty and risk due to potential second waves of COVID-19.

Conclusion

• Market Outlook: Optimistic but cautious approach due to ongoing uncertainties.
• Key Projects Ahead: Relaunch of VegasInsider.com and continuous enhancement of HLTV.org.