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Arena Group Holdings Inc

The Arena Group and Playwire Partner to Bring High-Impact Ad Inventory to Scale

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr. 6, 2026-- The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AREN), the brand, data and IP company home to many of the most recognizable brands including TheStreet, Parade, Men’s Journal, Athlon Sports, Surfer, ShopHQ and more, today announced its partnership with Playwire, the ad monetization platform for digital publishers, bringing scale to high-impact advertising inventory. Through the partnership, Playwire’s direct sales team has the ability to sell Flex Suite advertising units across The Arena Group’s portfolio of brands.

The Flex Suite is Playwire's exclusive set of high-impact advertising formats. It uses code-on-page technology to provide custom placements that go beyond the capabilities of standard programmatic advertising. The formats now available across The Arena Group's portfolio include:

  • Flex Video: Large-format mobile video that loads above content and remains sticky as the user scrolls. Auto-play, non-skip, 15-second creatives built to capture attention and keep it.
  • Flex Skin: A cross-platform, adhesive, dynamic unit highly sought after by premium brands. It compresses as users scroll and supports video and shoppable features.
  • Flex Rail: A full-screen interactive mobile canvas that loads as an animated overlay, prompts the user to expand for a large-format video or interactive experience, then collapses and stays in view.
  • Roadblock (SOV Add-On): Any Flex Suite unit can be upgraded to 100% Share of Voice, blocking out the competition entirely on that first impression across our network.

"The synergy between Playwire’s sales force and our premier brand portfolio represents a strategic partnership positioned for significant scale," said Chris Heck, VP of Integrated Marketing at The Arena Group. "By integrating Playwire’s Flex Suite across our properties, such as Parade and Men’s Journal, we are providing advertisers with streamlined access to a curated ecosystem of premium, high-impact brand environments."

Additionally, this partnership seamlessly unlocks the opportunity for brands to partner with The Arena Group’s network of sites on custom branded content campaigns, allowing brands to connect with target audiences through immersive storytelling that perfectly complements Playwire’s Flex Suite activations.

"The Arena Group has built something rare in digital media: a portfolio of brands that people trust and return to,” said Jayson Dubin, CEO at Playwire. “Pairing that kind of audience quality with Playwire's direct sales reach and Flex Suite capabilities is a combination that should get every serious advertiser's attention. We're proud to bring this partnership to market."

To learn more about the partnership, please visit: https://www.playwire.com/blog/playwire-and-the-arena-group-team-up-to-bring-high-impact-inventory-to-scale.

About The Arena Group

The Arena Group Holdings, Inc (NYSE:AREN) is a brand, data and IP company that builds, acquires, and scales high-performing digital assets. We combine technology, storytelling, and entrepreneurship to create deep content verticals that engage passionate audiences across sports & leisure, lifestyle, and finance. Through our portfolio of owned and operated brands including TheStreet, Parade, Men's Journal, Athlon Sports, the Adventure Network (Surfer, Powder, Bike, etc), ShopHQ and others, we deliver trusted content and meaningful experiences to millions of users each month. Visit us at thearenagroup.net to learn more.

About Playwire

Playwire is an ad monetization platform for digital publishers. Powered by the RAMP platform, Playwire combines advanced ad technology, AI-driven yield optimization, and a team of experts to help publishers maximize ad revenue without the operational headache of managing a complex ad tech stack. Offering both Self-Service and Managed Service engagement options, Playwire meets publishers wherever they are on their monetization journey. Trusted by 1,000+ publishers across gaming, education, entertainment, sports, news, and more, Playwire delivers quality, performance, and transparency at every impression. Learn more at playwire.com.

Morgan Fitzgerald
morgan.fitzgerald@thearenagroup.net

Source: The Arena Group Holdings, Inc.