North Star Network

What North Star Network does

North Star Network is a privately held French digital media group founded in 2017 and headquartered in Levallois-Perret, operating a global portfolio of 30+ sports and betting media brands across 30+ countries. The company builds and acquires category-leading sports editorial properties — including SportsMole (UK), Trivela (Brazil), Top Mercato (France), Afrik Foot (Francophone Africa), Bojoko (UK/Canada iGaming), Soccernet.ng (Nigeria), and BasketUSA/BasketEurope (Francophone basketball) — that collectively reach approximately 30 million monthly sessions and publish 5,000+ pieces of content monthly in 11+ languages.

The underlying platform is an SEO-first content and audience infrastructure running on WordPress, managing 50+ websites containing more than one million pages and tracking 5,000+ keywords. The company is implementing AI-assisted workflows using Anthropic's Model Context Protocol with Claude to automate content generation, SERP analysis, internal linking, and technical SEO audits. Proprietary BI tools support performance monitoring across the portfolio, and a dedicated M&A team led by a Head of M&A executes a programmatic acquisition engine with earnout structures.

North Star monetizes through a performance-based affiliate model, connecting its audience to 600+ betting and gaming operator advertisers and earning commissions per First Time Depositor (FTD), supplemented by display advertising and content licensing partnerships that deliver 20M+ additional monthly visitors. Key enterprise customers include bet365, BetMGM, BetRivers, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel, with the company holding licensed vendor status in 20+ US states. The company has 80+ in-house employees plus 200+ external experts across more than 20 nationalities, supported by a C-suite comprising co-founders Julien Josset (CEO) and Yann Decoopman, CFO Florent Douroux, COO Florian Feunteun, CTO Frédéric Leaux, and Head of Media Ed Dove (ex-GOAL/Reuters/ESPN).

Name

North Star Network

Legal name

North Star Network

Website

http://www.north-star.network

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

North Star Network is a France-based digital sports and betting media group operating 30+ editorial brands across 30+ countries, monetizing 30 million monthly sessions primarily through performance-based affiliate marketing for 600+ betting and gaming operators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Sports Media & Affiliate Marketing

NAICS

Other Gambling Industries (713290), Other Gambling Industries (71329)

akta.pro primary industry

Sportsbook Affiliate & Comparison Sites (MPAEAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Affiliate, Media Buying & Performance Marketing for Sports Betting (MPAEACAH)

Keywords

• Sports media publishing
• Affiliate marketing network
• Betting content licensing
• SEO content operations
• IGaming audience acquisition

Headquarters

HQ city

Levallois-perret

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Affiliate/Performance Marketing: Primary revenue stream from connecting sports fans and bettors to betting and gaming operators. North Star earns commissions for each First Time Depositor (FTD) they refer to operator partners. The company connects their audience to 600+ advertisers and generates 30,000+ FTDs per month. This includes both sports betting and iGaming (casino, bingo) verticals.
2. Advertising: Revenue from displaying advertisements across their portfolio of sports media brands. The network publishes 5,000+ pieces of content monthly and reaches 30 million monthly sessions, providing significant advertising inventory for brands seeking sports audiences.
3. Content Licensing/Partnerships: Providing exclusive betting content to partner websites in exchange for distribution and revenue sharing. North Star is the exclusive betting content provider on partner sites, reaching millions of engaged sports fans.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

North Star Network operates a global portfolio of 30+ owned sports and betting media brands across 30+ countries, publishing 5,000+ pieces of sports, betting, and gaming content monthly and connecting its audience of 30 million monthly sessions to 600+ betting and gaming operators via performance-based affiliate marketing, advertising, and content licensing. The company monetizes primarily through commissions on First Time Depositors referred to operator partners and through advertising inventory and content licensing to media publishers.

Product overview

North Star Network is a global sports and betting media company operating as a portfolio of 30+ media brands across 30+ countries. The portfolio is built around sports news and betting insight platforms organized by sport (football/soccer, basketball, MMA/boxing, cricket, e-sports) and geography (Europe, Africa, South America, North America). Key brands include SportsMole (UK sports news), Trivela (Brazilian football), Bojoko (iGaming affiliate UK/Canada), Football Whispers (transfer news in 11 languages), Top Mercato (French football), Afrik Foot (African football), Vringe (Russian MMA/boxing), Mr Fixits Tips (UK betting tips), and regional brands like Soccernet.ng (Nigeria), Lakers Brasil (Brazil), BasketUSA/BasketEurope (French basketball), and Al Aire Libre (Chile). The company publishes 5,000+ pieces of content monthly and connects its audience to 600+ advertisers. SEO is the primary acquisition channel, with a proprietary SEO platform managing over 1 million pages and 50 million monthly page views.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SportsMole: Premier sports news platform delivering latest updates, in-depth previews, and expert predictions across sports with strong emphasis on football. Established in 2011.
• Trivela
• Top Mercato
• Afrik Foot
• Bojoko
• Football Whispers
• Football Ground Guide
• Vringe
• Calciodangolo
• WeSport
• Soccernet
• Um Dois Esportes
• BePicks
• Mr Fixits Tips
• Al Aire Libre
• SoloBasket
• BasketUSA
• BasketEurope
• Lakers Brasil

Products and services

• SportsMole Premier UK sports news platform delivering the latest updates, in-depth previews, and expert predictions across multiple sports with a strong emphasis on football. Founded in 2011 and generating 7 million sessions monthly.
• Trivela Premier online destination for Brazilian football aficionados offering comprehensive coverage including match analyses, transfer news, and historical features.
• Bojoko Award-winning iGaming affiliate platform empowering users to make informed decisions through comprehensive reviews and transparent information on casinos, bingo, and sports betting in the UK and Canada.
• Football Whispers Transfer news, match analysis, and football culture platform available in 11 language versions.
• Vringe Russia's leading online news site for MMA and boxing, established in 2002.
• Top Mercato Reference platform for French football fans on exclusive transfer news, with expert analysis, live scores, results, and game recaps. Operating since 2007 and reaching 1M+ monthly visitors.
• BasketUSA Leading French-speaking basketball brand with 21 years of history covering NBA and international basketball news in France.
• BasketEurope All-European basketball news platform in French-speaking markets.
• Afrik Foot Online media platform for French-speaking football community in Africa offering latest stories and breaking news on African football including championships, CAN, and African League.
• Soccernet.ng Nigeria's leading football news platform delivering live updates, in-depth analysis, and exclusive reports on both local and international football.
• Mr Fixits Tips Most credible tipster service in the UK with 14-year legacy providing tips and predictions content across multiple sports.
• Al Aire Libre Leading Chilean sports news platform covering Chilean Primera División and the national soccer team.
• SoloBasket Spanish-language basketball platform offering insightful analysis and captivating stories for the basketball community.
• Lakers Brasil Ultimate destination for all things Los Angeles Lakers-related in Portuguese, offering latest news, game recaps, player profiles, and NBA insights for Brazilian basketball enthusiasts.
• WeSport

Quantifiable outcome

• 30 million monthly sessions across network
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• Brazilian Football Club Fan SitescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 25 May 2023Partnerships with 7 fan websites covering major Brazilian clubs: Flamengo (NotíciasDoMengao), Palmeiras (PortalDoPalmeirense), Corinthians (NoticiasDoTimao), São Paulo (PortalDoSaoPaulino), Atlético Mineiro (PortalDoAtleticano), Cruzeiro (PortalCruzeirense), and general site (PortalDosTimes). Combined traffic exceeds 28 million visitors monthly.
• Coluna do FlacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 September 2022Partnership with Brazil's #1 website for Flamengo football club fans. Receives average 17 million monthly visits. North Star provides betting content as exclusive content provider. Flamengo accounts for 24% of all Brazilian football supporters.
• Web VôleistrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 September 2022Partnership with Brazil's largest volleyball website averaging over 1 million monthly visits. North Star provides betting insights for Superliga and international games.
• Grande PrêmiostrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 November 2021Partnership with leading Brazilian motorsports website. North Star provides exclusive betting content to the platform.
• Nosso PalestrastrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 November 2021Partnership with one of biggest communities for Palmeiras football fans in Brazil. North Star provides exclusive betting content.

Scale indicators19 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Raketech: Nordic-listed affiliate marketing company in sports betting and casino verticals with a portfolio approach similar to NSN. Comparable in targeting tier-1 and tier-2 European markets via SEO-driven comparison and content sites.
• Oddschecker: UK-based sports betting odds comparison and affiliate platform monetizing via sportsbook partnerships. Closely comparable to NSN's UK brands (SportsMole, MrFixitsTips, Football Whispers) and overlapping operator client base.
• Spotlight Sports Group: Owner of affiliate brands such as Free Super Tips and Racing Post-affiliated products, operating a portfolio of sports media and betting tipster sites with similar SEO-first, multi-brand approach to NSN in UK and international markets.
• GOAL (Footballco): Global football media brand owned by Footballco that combines editorial sports content with betting partnerships. Comparable to NSN's Football Whispers and SportsMole in the football media and betting-affiliate space, with broader global reach.
• WebMediaGroup (WMG): Operator of iGaming and sports betting affiliate sites including European Gaming and other SEO-driven gambling media properties. Directly comparable as a multi-brand affiliate publisher with sports betting and casino content focus.

Broad incumbents

• Catena Media: Sports betting and iGaming affiliate operator historically competing head-to-head with NSN in SEO-driven FTD generation. Now part of Better Collective but remains a benchmark for affiliate economics in sports betting and casino verticals.
• Gambling.com Group: US-listed affiliate marketing group focused on online gambling (sports betting, casino). Comparable business model of SEO-driven sportsbook and casino affiliate sites generating performance marketing revenue from major operators; larger and publicly traded versus NSN's private status.
• Better Collective: Listed Danish sports betting affiliate group operating a global portfolio of comparison sites, media brands, and SEO-driven betting content. Directly comparable as a scaled, multi-brand sports betting affiliate network monetizing via operator partnerships, but with broader geographic and product footprint than NSN.

Emerging players

• SBC (Sports Betting Community): Industry events and media business serving the sports betting and iGaming affiliate ecosystem, including the SBC Summit conferences NSN attends. Comparable audience and ecosystem position; events/media business model differs from NSN's owned-site model.
• LiveScore Group: Sports media company operating LiveScore and other sports data/content brands with advertising and betting partnership monetization. Comparable sports media-led monetization approach to NSN, though with stronger focus on live scores and app-based distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NorthStarNtwrk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/micro-cameras-space-exploration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about North Star Network