Clever Advertising acquires Pickswise to drive its expansion in the U.S.
The sports betting picks brand draws 1.4M visits a month and becomes Clever Advertising’s most important U.S. asset
MALTA, November 02, 2026 – Clever Advertising has acquired 100% of Pickswise, the U.S. sports betting picks and analysis brand, from Spotlight Sports Group Limited. The deal was completed today. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The acquisition gives Clever Advertising an owned U.S. audience, next to the paid media, search, and influencer channels it already runs for operators.
Spotlight Sports Group launched Pickswise in 2019. The brand covers the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, college football and basketball, soccer, and UFC, with daily picks and best bets from a team of named handicappers and real-time odds comparison across major U.S. sportsbooks. Pickswise draws 1.4M visits per month and reaches fans through its iOS and Android apps, a free newsletter, and its Instagram, X, YouTube, and Facebook channels.
The acquisition follows a partnership that began in late 2025. Since then, Clever Advertising has led Pickswise’s content strategy, relaunched its app, grown its social channels, and improved its website. It also launched Pickswise Playzone, starting with the NFL Career game.
“Pickswise readers are fans who want the reasoning behind a pick before they bet, and that’s the audience licensed operators want to reach. Pickswise is now our most important asset in the U.S. market. We’ll keep investing in the brand, starting with new Playzone games for the NBA and MLB, as a key driver of our long-term growth and our expansion in the U.S.,” said Rui Meireles, Chief Publishing Officer at Clever Advertising.
U.S. commercial sports betting revenue reached ~$17B in 2025, up 22.8% from 2024, according to the American Gaming Association. Each state sets its own licensing and advertising rules, and Pickswise works only with operators that are legally available in each user’s state.
Following the transition, Pickswise will keep its name, website, apps, and social channels, so nothing changes for its users.
“We launched Pickswise in 2019 and grew it into one of the leading free picks brands in the U.S. Over the past year, the team at Clever Advertising has advanced it further and they’re the right owner for its next chapter. For us, the move sharpens our focus on Racing Post and our partnerships with operators and media groups around the world, where we see the biggest opportunities,” said Mark Renshaw, CEO of Spotlight Sports Group.“
Notes to editors:
For any questions, please contact alex.cottee@spotlightsportsgroup.com
About Spotlight Sports Group
Spotlight Sports Group brings together specialist horse racing and sports betting expertise in trusted content, data, products and audience understanding to create experiences that audiences truly value and commercial partners really benefit from. We are the home of Racing Post, the authority on UK and Irish horse racing for more than 40 years, and with over 400 employees, we work with leading operators, racing organisations and media groups to power growth and engagement.
About Pickwise
Pickswise is a U.S. sports betting picks and analysis brand owned by Clever Advertising. Launched in 2019, it covers the major U.S. leagues, college sports, soccer, and UFC at pickswise.com, in its iOS and Android apps, and through its newsletter and social channels. Pickswise works only with operators that are legally available in each user’s state.
Clever Advertising
Clever Advertising is a performance marketing affiliate in iGaming, founded in 2007 and operated by Playhill Limited in Malta. The company works with operators on acquisition, retention, and reactivation across media buying, SEM, influencer marketing, and publisher and media partnerships. In 2025, its campaigns delivered 22.1B + impressions, 1.5M + registrations, and 727K+ first-time depositors across 150K+ active websites. Clients pay only for delivered performance, through revenue share or CPA, with no service fees. Clever Advertising has 370+ people from 16 nationalities across 5 offices. It was named Affiliate Employer of the Year at the SBC Affiliate Leaders Awards in 2025 and 2026. Learn more at cleveradvertising.com.