While many gambling brands focus on expanding reach, SportsGrid CEO Jeremy Stein believes the real opportunity lies in community engagement. The distinction between having an audience and building a community could be the difference between impressions and conversions.
The Power of Community in Casino Influencer Partnerships
SportsGrid recently made headlines by signing major personalities like Brian Christopher to create new forms of casino entertainment. This strategic move wasn’t merely about acquiring audience numbers.
“One of the reasons we were attracted to Brian is specifically because of his relationship with his audience,” explains Stein. Unlike many casino streamers who simply accumulate viewers, Christopher has prioritised deeper connections.
“Brian has really put an emphasis on community building. He has a fan fest coming up next month, does in-person meet and greets, and even organises cruises,” Stein notes. This community-building approach aligns perfectly with SportsGrid’s core pillars: content, community, and commerce.
The “Avengers Model” for Diverse Audiences
SportsGrid isn’t limiting its strategy to gambling influencers. The company has signed non-gambling personalities like Paige Spiranac to reach diverse audiences while maintaining the community-first approach.
“We’re building what we call the Avengers model—one superhero for everybody,” says Stein. This strategy creates a compelling proposition for sponsors by offering access to diverse demographics through authentic community engagement.
SportsGrid has assembled a diverse roster of influencers, each with their own dedicated community:
- Brian Christopher – slot machine specialist with extensive fan engagement
- Paige Spiranac – non-gambling influencer with a strong golf community
Differentiating Between Audience and Community
The key distinction between traditional broadcasting and influencer-driven content lies in conversion potential. According to Stein, this difference fundamentally changes the value proposition.
“If you just have an audience without that explicit connection, there’s no difference between that impression and one you can buy at a much cheaper rate,” Stein explains. This explains why top influencers command premium rates, they deliver genuine influence.
“The word ‘influencer’ is often misused. It’s now deemed to be anybody with a large following, but that’s not necessarily the case,” he adds. Real influence stems from emotional connection, which is visible in engagement metrics like comment sentiment.
Creating Conversion Content That Delivers Results
SportsGrid’s approach bridges the traditional divide between performance and brand marketing channels. Their content aims to serve both functions simultaneously.
“We like to say we build conversion content. All our partners judge us on conversion,” Stein states. This approach combines top-of-funnel branding with bottom-of-funnel attribution, a combination that wasn’t possible in traditional television environments.
The network focuses on three key metrics to measure success:
- Conversion rates from viewers to active customers
- Total watch time across the network
- Number of unique sessions (240 million measured last year)
Maintaining Authenticity While Expanding Reach
Rather than transforming influencers into television personalities, SportsGrid aims to complement their existing platforms while introducing them to new audiences.
“We don’t want to just make these people TV stars. We want them to continue on their existing path,” Stein clarifies. This approach benefits everyone involved—influencers maintain their authenticity while accessing new distribution channels and monetisation opportunities.
SportsGrid’s substantial distribution network opens doors to audiences who may not yet be familiar with these influencers but crave their content.
Essential Do’s and Don’ts for Operator-Influencer Partnerships
For gambling operators considering influencer partnerships, Stein emphasises the importance of genuine commitment from both sides.
“You need full buy-in from that person because they’re going to serve as your brand spokesperson in their world,” he advises. One-off sponsored posts rarely deliver meaningful results.
Authenticity remains paramount, if influencers don’t genuinely believe in the product or are motivated solely by financial gain, outcomes will suffer regardless of their audience size.
The most successful partnerships treat influencers as micro brand ambassadors who can activate highly engaged communities rather than just delivery mechanisms for sponsored content.
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