Below are the major operations and projects I’ve been responsible for in my career, including details and outcomes.
oddschecker Affiliate Conversion, Editorial SEO
Timeline: September 2024 – June 2025
Description: Entrusted to improve affiliate conversion rates and editorial SEO across all of oddschecker US through improved best practices, site maintenance, organization, and content strategy for a more efficient and effective brand.
Tasks:
– Dove into data and analytics, identified missing KPIs, and improved reporting for better understanding of brand standing
– Implemented SEO and affiliate best practices (publish timing, evergreen maintenance, improved affiliate agreement and offer organization and documentation, etc.) not yet undertaken and delegated execution to team
– Led content and sporting event roadmaps, ran weekly planning meetings and owned content strategy across editorial, commercial, and evergreen
– Developed and delegated new process and workflows around general offer and widget use, upkeeping, and page placement
Results: Refined processes and workflows combined with the team’s deep understanding of iGaming culture, audience behavior, and content formats led to the publishing of the site’s 1st- (see: photo) and 3rd-best organic-search-trafficked editorial articles and 5th-best March Madness editorial article in over 2 1/2 years. Additionally, in the affiliate sphere, our methodical execution of the aformentioned best practices led to a site-wide conversion rate of 4.46% during my tenure, 2x the prior conversion rate for the site dating back over 6 years.
Atlas Tech Migration for oddschecker
Timeline: January 2025 – June 2025
Description: Brought in to act as a leader for deployment and QA for oddschecker US’ tech stack migration to the Atlas environment – in addition to other duties – to improve communication and alignment after a planned all-at-once migration in Jan/Feb ’25 was delayed.
Tasks:
– Conducted QA for back-end workflows, front-end UI/UX, and site must-haves, catching several inneficiences and gaps
– Oversaw the configuration of numerous OC pages including sport, event, article, homepage, and more, the vast majority of which done first-hand
– Delegated configuation of additional pages to team
– Manually input JSON code into back-end for various pages, ensuring all relevant odds and markets across OC’s covered sports would properly surface
– Worked closely on a daily basis with product and development teams to ensure priorities were properly organized and most pressing needs were being addressed
Results: Migration was achieved in May ’25, with the site receiving superior configuration and functionality compared to its state preceeding my involvment. Among other outcomes were the salvation of critical conversion pages from potential deletion and an improved homepage banner for conversions and sponsorhips. Additionally, continuous improvements were determined and prioritized post-migration under my supervision. Among these were: new designs for an improved front-end UX for all odds components and pages, back-end QoL updates for both my and the global operations teams, and integrations for our premium OC+ subscription product.
Sports Illustrated / FanNation: Sports Betting
Timeline: June 2023 – March 2024
Description: Led construction of in-depth Sports Betting section on FanNation in addition to content strategy and execution across Sports Illustrated, FN, and FN’s various team sites to achieve increased traffic, SEO authority, and monetized affiliate conversions.
Tasks:
– Create internal and external communication systems for efficient operations and deliverables
– Conduct deep competitor analysis to discover industry trends for agile pivots
– Lean on SEO team expertise to inform editorial best practices across articles, navigation, backlinks, and more
– Routinely assessed KPIs from leading data platforms to ensure efforts were performing as expected if not better
– Maintained consistent reporting of KPIs and progress to both internal leadership and partners for transparancy and accountability
Results: Affiliate conversions exceeded expectations promised to The Arena Group by 20% by culmination of Super Bowl 2024 week, with said week breaking partnership gross revenue record of $150K. The month of March, which featured the North Carolina State Launch and first week of March Madness prior to Arena Group losing the Sports Illustrated license, generated $400K gross revenue. Combined 2024 efforts beat YTD budget by 15%. Average keyword score of top sports betting keywords topped within Top 8 of Google search, with several keywords ranking No. 1 or in the Top 3 of SERPs and No. 1 in Top Stories.
Pickswise Revenue Diversification
Timeline: December 2023 – July 2024
Description: Tasked with finding new revenue streams while improving established affiliate tactics in order to grow owned Pickswise business.
Tasks:
– Investigated various revenue options, including video, partnered tools packages, and paid picks services
– Implemented rollout of STN video player across site
– Conducted site-wide audit, leading to discoveries of various actionable inefficiencies
– Personally conducted navigation alignment and retooling, ensuring consistency and proper backlinking
– Led distribution of updated SEO best practices for improved Google Page Rank and Top Stories placement
– Oversaw agreement for and delivery of partnership with generative AI tool for cost-efficient creation of objective transactional content for improved affiliate conversion
Results: Generated additonal $100K+ in revenue from STN video. Created $100K+ in savings with Narrativa. Content appeared more consistently in Top Stories and rose in Page Rank. All adjustments, including new efficiencies, put brand on track to beat 2024 year-end budget.
NBC Sports EDGE Rebrand
Timeline: July 2020 – February 2021
Description: In order to align NBC Sports’ Fantasy Sports and Sports Betting business under a name synonymous with audiences for both areas of specialized coverage, the decision was made to rebrand Rotoworld to NBC Sports EDGE. Responsibility was given to ensure the news desk team completed the rebrand across all areas of content (site, social, CRM, video, etc.) against deadlines, allowing the brand to reveal itself following Super Bowl 2021.
Tasks:
– Worked in tandem with dev, tech, and product teams to ensure all necessary changes to site and CMS were properly prioritized
– Delegated product changes and their testing to news desk team
– Oversaw development of creative projects across video, site, social media, and more, ensuring timely delivery of assets
– Worked in lockstep with editorial, marketing, social media, and other stakeholder teams to align messaging to public
Results: Rebrand was achieved on schedule, satisfying company leadership and easing any audience worries that change in name would equate to change in content or beloved tone of voice.
Rotoworld 2019 Football Draft Guide Sales Drive
Timeline: June 2019 – September 2019
Description: With sales having dropped YoY for the Rotoworld Football Draft Guide for years, Rotoworld’s Director and NBC Sports Digital’s Business Operations & Audience Growth Driector put my skills to task on assisting in identifying and executing methods to turn those fortunes around for the 2019 Rotoworld Football Draft Guide.
Tasks:
– Ideated and executed “Fantasy Black Friday” stealth promotion/flash sale that broadcast out to all digital channels (site, CRM, video, audio, social, etc.) on biggest fantasy football draft day of year
– Proposed quicker, shorter, and more efficient funnel paths for users in order to provide as little hassle for those with intent to purchase as possible
– Implemented new in-article editor’s note strategy to give Draft Guide messaging premium real estate on page
– Created new “preview” strategy and schedule of articles that would give quick looks at product to prove value along with custom intro, outro, and promotional messaging both self-written and self-published
– Synced messaging of Draft Guide and execution strategy for on-site banners and in tandem with CRM, social media, and marketing teams
Results: The 2019 Rotoworld Draft Guide ended its run with the highest sales and revenue figures for the brand since 2012, vastly beating expectations to the delight of every major stakeholder. “Fantasy Black Friday” alone accounted for one of the biggest single-day sales and revenue accumilations in the brand’s entire history.
Rotoworld Site Redesign
Timeline: July 2018 – February 2019
Description: Operating on a site and CMS from the mid ’00s, Rotoworld underwent a complete product redesign and navigation over to a modern CMS. Tasked with overseeing this entire transition with regards to prioritization, communication, testing, and execution.
Tasks:
– Worked closely with product, tech, and dev teams to prioritize needs for new site
– Communicated both in meetings and over Jira on projects, took ownership of tickets, and provided updates on progress of various items
– Tested every major feature and maintained close contact with editorial to ensure their own testing was completed in timely manner
Results: The transition was a complete success and received positively by stakeholders and audiences alike. Product, tech, and dev applauded my interpersonal skills to ensure tasks were complete with as little stress as possible. Rotoworld was now able to better compete with rivals with site functions such as improved navigation, video content, improved breaking news banners, leveled up ad real estate, an overall improved UX, and more.
2018 Winter Olympics
Timeline: August 2017 – February 2018
Description: Employed by NBC Sports to bring my social media savvy to their social team and distribute a unique, entertaining, relatable, and sentimental experience to their hundreds of thousands of Olympics social followers.
Tasks:
– Give full-range of sporting coverage as far back as pre-qualifier events all the way to completion of 2018 Winter Paralympics
– Ideate on viral content that would entertain audiences while also allowing them to connect with highs and lows that Olympic athletes face every Games
– Ensure broader company and partner priorities got adequate promotion and maximized engagement
– Worked over three weeks straight of 12-hour shifts to provide leadership and guidance to entire social team on Olympic coverage while also personally executing content
Results: The efforts of the entire social team during the 2018 Winter Olympics were praised and deemed worthy of a 2018 Sports Emmy nomination in the Outstanding Social TV Experience category. My personal efforts were recognized in a company town hall by then NBC Sports and Broadcast Chairman Mark Lazarus for creativity and ingenuity. Success led to full-time role at the company with Rotoworld due to rave reviews on professionalism and performance by bosses on social media team.
UpUpDownDown YouTube Channel
Timeline: May 2015 – September 2016
Description: Wanting to capitalize on the popularity of gaming on YouTube, WWE’s SVP of Digital Media, Rob Bernstein, enlisted my skills to create and structure an entirely new YouTube channel for the company focusing on that vertical and staring WWE Superstar Xavier Woods a.k.a. Austin Creed. With a budget covering just myself, a video editor, a laptop, and basic streaming equipment, it was put upon me to figure everything out.
Tasks:
– Brainstormed and implemented content structure around four themed weekly “show” videos for the channel based upon deep research of YouTube gaming space and its content leaders
– Worked with Xavier Woods to determine best strategic games to cover on channel and which Superstars would make for ideal guests or even channel regulars
– Traveled backstage monthly to help oversee shoots and train Woods on how to capture content on road independently
– Oversaw video editing process and QA’d all videos going live to channel
– Handled all video uploading, publishing, and metadata implementation
– Lived in analytics for both YouTube and social platforms brand had presence on for complimentary content and promotion (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram)
– Led collaboration and partnership outreach and relationship management, occassionally working closely with Ad Sales when promising enough opportunities arose for them to take reigns
– Took charge of creative assets from ideation to execution, working closely with graphics team to ensure vision was maintained while taking their expertise into account
– Starred as talent on live streams and in VOD content to provide a regular face to go along with Woods and to assist in doubling the content output of the channel
Results: Despite the lack of budget, UpUpDownDown became a massive success that saw 700K subscribers and an additional 300K+ followers across other social channels, equating to over 1M total fans during my tenure. It unlocked a yet unrealized revenue stream for the company that still stands to this day at over 3M total fans across all channels. The success was so prevelant across not just the wreslting sphere, but gaming and digital media as well. So much so that the channel was blessed to be named an Honoree in the 2016 Webby Awards for Online Video – Channels & Networks: Gaming.
Mike Murphy 