News Corp Australia has acquired the technology platform powering SuperCoach, marking a strategic shift in how the publisher approaches fantasy sports and positioning the franchise for broader audience growth and new commercial opportunities.
The acquisition from Melbourne-based Vapormedia is expected to unlock expansion into new sporting codes and formats, with the company already signalling interest in launching fantasy games for the NBA, NFL, and Formula 1.
A new era for fantasy sports
“This was a logical next step and marks the beginning of a new era for fantasy sports gaming in Australia, positioning SuperCoach as the nation’s top fantasy sports innovation powerhouse.” said Mark Reinke, managing director and publisher, state and community mastheads at News Corp Australia.
SuperCoach currently runs games across AFL, NRL, BBL and NBL. According to Reinke, the brand has grown to 430,000 registered players, with users averaging 173 minutes on the platform in May 2025, and contributes to more than 700 million annual page views.
Research cited from The Growth Distillery’s Sporting Nation report (2024) found the under-40 sports fan segment participating in fantasy sports had grown from 8% in 2021 to 18% last year. Reinke said this group remains a key target for SuperCoach expansion.
“We have a large 18-25, predominantly male audience but we see a lot of interest from other, particularly female audiences interested in shorter form games.” Reinke said. “We now have the flexibility and resources to investigate fully.”
Commercial partnerships and monetisation potential
He also pointed to the potential for stronger integration with SuperCoach content creators across podcasts, video, and social media, now that platform operations are in-house. “It really is more than a game,” Reinke said. “Bringing the expertise in-house will enable deeper collaboration with the thriving ecosystem of SuperCoach content creators.”
For advertisers and brand partners, the move opens up fresh integration opportunities, with News Corp highlighting the value of SuperCoach’s highly engaged communities. “We have just scratched the surface.” Reinke added.
Top image: Mark Reinke