Howard Mittman joins 888 to spearhead SI Sportsbook and its continued US expansion
April 2022 – New York, USA. 888, one of the world’s leading online betting and gaming companies, today announces the appointment of Howard Mittman as the Group’s new President 888 US. Mittman will be responsible for 888’s US operations, including its strategic partnership with Authentic Brands Group (ABG) a brand development, marketing and entertainment company and owner of the Sports Illustrated brand.
Mittman is a highly accomplished executive with more than 20 years’ experience in the digital and media industries. Most recently, he served as the CEO of Bleacher Report, a leading digital sports brand, having previously been Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer at the company. During his career he also held leadership roles including Chief Business Officer of Conde Nast, and Publisher and Chief Revenue Officer of WIRED and GQ.
During his tenure at Bleacher Report, Mittman oversaw the industry-leading growth of Bleacher Report between 2017 and 2020, including successive record revenue, and helped position Bleacher Report as the most-engaged-with sports media brand across social media platforms in 2019. Mittman oversaw the launch of B/R Betting, Bleacher Report’s sports betting practice, the opening of a Las Vegas-based content studio and delivered on large-scale content, experience and brand partnerships with multiple sports betting operators.
In June 2021, 888 announced its landmark strategic partnership with ABG to extend Sports Illustrated into betting and gaming. Combining 888's award-winning proprietary and scalable technology with one of the most trusted names in sports media, SI Sportsbook was unveiled in Colorado in September 2021, providing a world-class betting experience to customers in the state. SI Sportsbook is planned to launch in multiple additional states in the coming months.
In addition to spearheading the ongoing rollout of SI Sportsbook, Mittman will be responsible for 888’s B2B partnerships in the US, including the pioneering World Series of Poker (“WSOP”) brand’s hugely popular online poker rooms across three states, with more in the pipeline including in Michigan. Together, 888 and WSOP host the US market’s only regulated inter-state online poker network.
Itai Pazner, CEO of 888, commented on the appointment:
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Howard as our new President 888 US. This key appointment comes at a hugely exciting point in our long-term growth strategy in the US online betting market as we look forward to launching SI Sportsbook in multiple states in the coming months and years.
We have established a platform for strong growth in the US through our world-class technology and operational expertise, with the Sports Illustrated brand, and the appointment of Howard, which will enable us to maximise the potential of this unique combination to further grow a profitable business in the US.
Howard has an exceptional track record at some of the world’s best known media brands, brings a huge amount of knowledge of the US digital landscape, has exceptionally strong relationships across the world of sports and media, and was the outstanding candidate after a thorough search.”
Howard Mittman, incoming President 888 US commented:
I am thrilled to be joining one of the online betting industry’s most respected and successful businesses. 888 has an outstanding reputation for innovation, product leadership, and customer-centricity. I have been hugely impressed by the people I’ve met within the business, particularly their passion for product and the customer experience, and I share their excitement about the significant opportunities ahead.
The partnership with ABG and Sports Illustrated gives us a unique opportunity to deliver world-class betting and gaming products as part of a fully integrated experience with a leading sports media brand.”
Daniel W. Dienst, Executive Vice Chairman at ABG commented:
We applaud 888’s decision to appoint Mr. Mittman as President 888 US of its growing US platform and the operators of SI Sportsbook. With the breadth of his media industry experience and 888’s technical capabilities, we are excited to further capitalize on the opportunity to build a differentiated wagering experience for the loyal and avid fans of sports – and in particular, Sports Illustrated - who since 1954 continue to trust and rely on its peerless journalism and visit the platform in record numbers monthly.”
