Canadian online sports betting affiliate Covers.com has been acquired by Gracenote, a subsidiary of US media powerhouse Tribune Media.

Gracenote announced on Thursday that it had acquired the Halifax-based Covers.com, along with Covers offshoot SportsDirect Inc. and the Netherlands-based Infostrada Sports. The trio will operate under the banner of Gracenote Sports, Gracenote’s new sports data service, which aims to provide data on global sports leagues and events to broadcasters, sports federations and event organizers.

The deal is a reflection of both the growth of the data-hungry daily fantasy sports industry and the increased momentum behind the push for legal sports bets in the United States. The Chicago-based Tribune is a media giant whose holdings include superstation WGN and 38 other television stations across the US.

Gracenote said the total price tag of its three acquisitions would be US $54m. Assuming at least half of that went to the Halifax crew, perhaps now is a good time to remind everyone of Covers.com’s role in the collapse of online sportsbook betED.