Clever Advertising to Acquire Pickswise From Spotlight Sports Group
Clever Advertising agrees to buy US betting picks brand Pickswise from Racing Post owner Spotlight Sports Group, gaining an owned American audience.
Clever Advertising, an iGaming marketing company, announced on 2 November 2026 that it is acquiring the US sports betting picks brand Pickswise from Spotlight Sports Group, the owner of the Racing Post, for an undisclosed price.
Pickswise will keep its name, website, apps and social channels, and the platform will continue to operate as it does today. The deal turns a year-old working relationship into ownership and gives Clever Advertising a US audience it controls directly.
What the deal covers
The agreement transfers Pickswise, a picks and analysis brand aimed at American bettors, from Spotlight Sports Group to Clever Advertising. Pickswise launched in 2019 and publishes daily picks, odds and best-bet recommendations across the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and UFC, plus college football and college basketball.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Buyer | Clever Advertising |
| Seller | Spotlight Sports Group (owner of the Racing Post) |
| Asset | Pickswise, US sports betting picks brand |
| Price | Not disclosed |
| Brand assets retained | Name, website, apps, social channels |
| Pickswise launch | 2019 |
| Existing relationship | Since 2025 |
According to Next.io, the Pickswise sale and the quotes from both executives were reported on the same day as the announcement, 2 November 2026.
A partnership that became an acquisition
Clever Advertising has worked with Pickswise since 2025. Its role covered content strategy, the relaunch of the Pickswise app, an overhaul of the website and an expansion of the brand's social media presence. A partnership announcement published by Spotlight Sports Group in November 2025 first set out that collaboration.
Rui Meireles, chief publishing officer at Clever Advertising, described Pickswise as "now our most important asset in the US market". He said the team plans to keep investing in the brand.
Spotlight chief executive Mark Renshaw said his company launched Pickswise in 2019 and called Clever Advertising "the right owner for its next chapter".
Why an owned audience matters
An owned audience is a readership a company controls through its own sites, apps and social accounts, rather than traffic it buys or borrows. Next.io reports that Clever Advertising's US activity until now has run through paid media, search and influencer channels that it manages on behalf of operators. Pickswise adds a consumer-facing brand with its own daily readers.
For operators that buy marketing from Clever Advertising, the practical question is how the company positions the brand alongside its client work. No changes to Pickswise's operations have been announced, so the product that US users see today stays in place.
Where it fits in sector dealmaking
Media and affiliate assets have drawn steady buyer interest. Gambling.com Group's $160M acquisition of Odds Holdings and BLS Invest's 6.7% stake in Better Collective are earlier examples of capital moving into performance marketing and content businesses. On the operator side, DraftKings' purchase of Simplebet showed the same appetite for owning rather than renting capabilities.
Marketing-led businesses also work under close scrutiny of how betting is promoted, a theme covered in our review of sports betting advertising oversight in Europe. Clever Advertising's move into brand ownership in the US follows the same logic as those deals: control of the audience, not just the ad spend.
Status reviewed on 2 November 2026. Deal details come from GamblingNews and Next.io reports of 2 November 2026 and the 2025 partnership announcement from Spotlight Sports Group. More business news and North America coverage.
Frequently asked questions
Who is acquiring Pickswise?
Clever Advertising, an iGaming marketing company, is acquiring Pickswise from Spotlight Sports Group. The two companies have worked together since 2025, when Clever Advertising took on content strategy, the app relaunch, a website overhaul and social media expansion for the brand. The purchase price has not been disclosed.
Who owned Pickswise before the deal?
Spotlight Sports Group owned Pickswise. The group also owns the Racing Post. Spotlight chief executive Mark Renshaw said the company launched Pickswise in 2019 and described Clever Advertising as the right owner for the brand's next chapter.
What is Pickswise and which sports does it cover?
Pickswise is a US sports betting picks and analysis brand that launched in 2019. It publishes daily picks, odds and best-bet recommendations for the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and UFC, as well as college football and college basketball.
Will Pickswise change after the acquisition?
Not in the near term, according to the announcement. Pickswise keeps its name, website, apps and social media channels, and the platform will work as it does now. Clever Advertising says it plans to keep investing in the brand as part of its US strategy.
Why does Pickswise matter to Clever Advertising?
Clever Advertising's chief publishing officer, Rui Meireles, called Pickswise its most important asset in the US market. Until now the company reached American audiences through paid media, search and influencer channels it manages for operators. Owning Pickswise gives it a US audience of its own.
- Acquisition
- Expansion Strategy
- Market Entry
- Igaming
- Pickswise
- Clever Advertising
- Spotlight Sports Group
