The Game Within the Game
Lessons For Sports Media from Arkadium on Embedded Engagement, Creator Economics, and the AI Edge
At Disruptive Play, we focus on the changing landscape of sports, media, and the creator economy. However, some of the most relevant innovations are happening outside of that world in areas such as browser-based gaming.
Kenny Rosenblatt is the CEO and Co-Founder of Arkadium, a company that’s quietly built one of the most-played gaming platforms on the planet. Their games are embedded within major publishers like USA Today and The Washington Post and were played over 830 million times last year integrating seamlessly into the flow of content.
What makes Kenny’s perspective especially relevant is how Arkadium treats creators, partnerships, and personalization. While sports media is still figuring out how to empower talent and integrate interactive content, Arkadium has been doing it for years.
We sat down with Kenny to talk about how gaming is shaping engagement, what AI is unlocking, and what sports media companies can learn from a sector that figured out the new playbook early.
Q: For those in sports media who might not be familiar with browser gaming, what makes Arkadium’s approach unique?
Browser gaming is all about frictionless access. There’s no download, no app store, no barrier. Our games are integrated within media content on publisher sites, inside articles, and alongside other experiences.
We’re not asking for attention away from content. We’re extending it. When our games appear on a site like USA Today, it increases time spent rather than competing with the core experience. It’s similar to how sports media uses interactive features or creator-led content to enhance fan engagement.
Q: How do you approach creator relationships, and what should sports media take from that model?
We operate on what I call creator-first economics. Developers on our platform keep 75 percent of the revenue generated by their games. That’s not just generous; it’s strategic. When creators succeed, the ecosystem gets stronger.
Sports media is undergoing a similar shift. The old model was about control. The new model is about enabling creators, giving them tools to grow their audience while aligning incentives long term. That kind of trust leads to better content, more innovation, and better engagement.
Q: AI is reshaping sports media. How are you using it in gaming?
There are three main ways.
First, personalization. Our games adapt to user behavior, difficulty, suggestions, and pacing. It makes engagement deeper.
Second, is segmentation. We use AI to understand micro-behaviors and tailor content more intelligently. It’s no longer about demographics but real behavior.
Third, creator tools. AI helps developers see what’s working, optimize their games, and even generate new content variations. It’s about giving creators leverage, not replacing them.
Across the board, we’re focused on increasing engagement time, not just views or plays, but the actual time spent. That’s the metric that matters.
Q: Browser gaming is a small slice of the market. What makes it powerful anyway?
That 1 percent number is misleading. Browser gaming serves different needs than mobile; it’s about instant access, integration, and platform consistency.
No downloads. No storage limits. Our games can be embedded into a publisher’s content flow without sending users away. That’s valuable for anyone in media who wants to boost engagement without fragmenting the experience.
It’s also consistent across devices—desktop, mobile web, tablets, and smart TVs. That simplicity is a huge win for media companies trying to unify audience experiences.
Q: During the pandemic, gaming became a social lifeline. How did that change your strategy?
It confirmed that gaming is more thanjust entertainment.It’s infrastructure for connection.
People used games to stay social. We saw a huge uptick in first-time players, and they stuck around. That opened the door for social features such as playing with friends, sharing scores, and building a community around games.
For the creator economy, it’s a huge unlock. Gaming becomes another layer of community-building. It’s the same move we’re seeing in sports media, shifting from content delivery to shared experience.
Q: What trends should both sports media and gaming be watching?
First, the move away from ads and toward community monetization. The big opportunity is in integrated commerce, creator-led revenue, and participatory models.
Second, hybrid experiences. Audiences don’t want to choose between watching and doing. They want both at once. We’re seeing sports media incorporate gaming mechanics and gaming platforms incorporate media elements.
Third, personalization. AI allows for niche targeting at scale. It allows you to cater to a specific fan or player without compromising the broader appeal.
And last, creator empowerment. Companies that invest in creators, rather than just using their content, are building the most durable advantages.
Q: Any advice for sports media companies trying to integrate gaming into their strategy?
Start with your audience. What are they already doing? How can gaming complement that behavior, not disrupt it?
Don’t build standalone games that compete with your content. Embed gaming mechanics into your existing flow. Add predictions, trivia, or interactive features around live coverage.
Focus on participation. Turn passive viewers into active fans.
And partner. You don’t have to build all the tech. Work with gaming companies that specialize in integration. That’s how you scale fast and do it well.
Q: What’s next for Arkadium, and how do you see the space evolving?
We’re investing in AI personalization, deeper publisher integrations, and more social features.
One example is our partnership with Sportradar, where we’re embedding sports trivia and light betting elements into games. That’s where it’s heading, not standalone games, but embedded, interactive content layers that boost engagement everywhere they live.
In the long term, browser gaming becomes a service layer. A way to make any content- sports, news, entertainment - more interactive, more participatory, and more valuable to the audience.
That’s the opportunity ahead. Not just for gaming. For everyone building in the attention economy.
Final Thoughts
Sports media often talks about innovation but gaming lives it. What Arkadium has built isn’t just a platform, it’s a blueprint: frictionless distribution, creator-first economics, embedded engagement, and AI-fueled personalization.
If you’re in sports, this isn’t just a nice-to-know it’s a need-to-adapt. Because the next generation of fans won’t wait for you to figure it out. They expect content to meet them where they are, creators to be empowered, and every moment to feel personal, interactive, and participatory.
Gaming isn’t adjacent. It’s ahead. And for anyone serious about building the future of sports media, the lessons are clear — play smarter, build lighter, and think like a platform.