The Nation Network announces sale to Playmaker

A transformational move in the sports media world occurred today when all of The Nation Network and its subsidy DailyFaceoff was officially sold to digital sports media company Playmaker.

Playmaker lives at the intersection of sports, betting, media and technology and CEO Jordan Gnat said the acquisition of The Nation Network is their first foray north of the border.

“The acquisition of TNN and DFO is further proof that Playmaker is continuing to execute against its plan to acquire and roll up valuable, profitable digital media assets that cover major sports in important markets,” said Jordan Gnat, Playmaker CEO. “TNN is Playmaker’s first acquisition in our home market of Canada, giving Playmaker true audience reach from the top of Canada to the bottom of Argentina. This is particularly important in Canada as we look towards Q1 2022 when third party sports betting operators will be permitted to operate in Ontario.”

“The TNN acquisition helps diversify Playmaker’s revenue streams through a subscription-based premium content model and with a significant sportsbook partnership already in place. I am delighted to welcome Jay and Frank and the whole Nation team into the Playmaker family.”

It’s the latest in many moves for the rapidly growing Nation Network. Earlier this year, NHL insider Frank Seravalli joined the company as the President of Hockey Content at its flagship website, Daily Faceoff.

Months later in September, the company announced a multi-year deal positioning PointsBet Canada as the exclusive sports betting partner to The Nation and Daily Faceoff.

Co-founder and CEO of The Nation Network, Jay Downton, said he’s ecstatic for the move.

“We are beyond excited to be joining the Playmaker family. It’s refreshing to work with a group that understands and shares the same fan-first culture as we do, because like us, they are sports fans,” commented Jay Downton, co-founder and CEO of TNN. “This is a huge momentum builder for The Nation Network as it will allow us to invest more in content creation, talent recruitment, partnerships, and strategic acquisitions, all of which will better serve and expand our amazing online community. We are excited to get to work!”

Between all websites under The Nation Network and Daily Faceoff, the company has generated over a billion page views since its inception in 2007 becoming one of the biggest and best online destinations for independent sports coverage in North America.

“I could not be more excited to join the Playmaker family,” said Seravalli. “There is no doubt combining forces with Playmaker will unlock additional resources and the creative juice that will power our team, turbocharging our vision to make it a reality more quickly than we originally planned.

“Partnering with Playmaker better enables us to continue on our trajectory in becoming the premier destination for refreshingly independent hockey coverage in the digital space.”