Parleh Media Group, creator of Canadian sports betting news and insights providers The Parleh and Parleh TV, has welcomed sports betting industry leaders Benjie Cherniak and Chris Grove as investors. The two come on board as the firm announces the closure of a CAD $1m pre-seed financing round.
According to Parleh, the commitment by Las Vegas-based Cherniak and Grove cements the company’s status as a “rising media presence in Canada and the US”.
Cherniak, a native of Montreal who will also serve as an advisor to Parleh Media Group, is deeply familiar with the role of data and media content to support sportsbooks. As Managing Director of Don Best Sports, which sold to Scientific Games in 2018, he forged tier-one operator partnerships across The Americas, Europe and Asia.
“The Parleh has launched at a pivotal time as the regulated Canadian market plans to open in the coming months,” said Cherniak. “I see parallels between The Parleh’s journey to that of Don Best, and am thrilled to support the founders in expanding the business beyond Canada.”
Grove is an investor and serial entrepreneur with multiple exits in the online gambling media space. A partner at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, his portfolio spans many of the fastest-growing startups in the North American sports betting and online gambling market.
“I met The Parleh founders soon after it launched, and quickly recognized how their brand of sports betting content could potentially fill a void for sports fans,” said Grove. “Watching as they paired that potential with impressive execution across acquisitions and organic growth initiatives convinced me to back this management team.”
In just a few months since launch, viewership and demand for content from The Parleh is growing exponentially across its digital platforms and through its distribution partners. Viewers are most engaged with Parleh’s daily Picks segments, where they get fun and entertaining insights on the games that matter across the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, EPL as well as the world’s largest sporting events.
Parleh Founder Mark Silver stated: “The rise of open and regulated sports betting markets has created a once-in-a-generation disruption in the business of sports and media. Having Benjie and Chris, two highly-respected leaders in the sports betting industry, invest in Parleh Media Group and also helping us on our journey is validation that we’re on the right track.”
