The driver in sports media? Wins? Personalities? Nope. Technology and Analytics

This past week Vox Media, whose property SB Nation is one of the most visited sports platforms in the world, announced a $200 million round of funding from NBC Universal. It was the latest move for Vice, whose founder Jim Bankoff now has a company valued at around $850 million and growing.

It is the latest in a growing trend of digital media companies that have been built on back end technology and content, which will in turn drive views and business. Vox joins platforms like Media, Vice, whose sports business both in broadcast and online is growing in leaps and bounds, BuzzFeed, Business Insider and many others who have pulled in venture capital to really expand what they are doing in sports and entertainment. Those numbers have also not been lost on other sports platforms like Bleacher Report, which took in over $100 million from Turner and is fast-becoming that media company’s prime sports content driver, or FanDuel and DraftKings, whose robust offerings in fantasy have made them kings of the hill for now in DFS.

Gone are the days of just drawing eyeballs; now platforms must be able to both monetize and deliver to whatever device is needed for a young and engaged fan base. Vox has long tinkered with the fantasy space, as has NBC Universal. Could this new venture include a deeper dive into DFS, or eventually the lucrative gaming and gambling space led by the cutting edge back-end Bankoff has built? With Yahoo now in the space, can NBCUni be far behind?

It remains to be seen but one thing is for sure. Tech and content keep ratcheting up the dollars for those spending in the space, with the DC based company the latest to reap the benefits.