Shopping and Financial Services
SmartNews supports the inclusion of affiliate links that can earn our publisher partners additional revenue.
There are limitations across categories such as Shopping, Financial Services and Sports Betting that generally adhere to industry standards and best practices.
For inclusion in SmartNews, we require that there be a clear statement on the article with a disclaimer that the publisher may earn affiliate fees from the links.
Sponsored content paid for by the affiliate or a sponsor is not accepted
Placing non-contextual links in between paragraphs is not accepted. Publishers may use allotted space in the article template via the <snf:SponsoredLink> element for promotion of non-contextual affiliate and to link to other sponsored content opportunities.
Examples
Shopping and Financial Services
Alongside the disclaimer, affiliate links presented within the article body text must be presented clearly and contextually so readers know the links are directly related to those goods and services.
Placing shopping links in otherwise unrelated content (in between paragraphs, etc.) is not accepted. This type of cross-promotion should be included in the <snf:SponsoredLink> element.
Example:
Sports Betting Content
Q: Does SmartNews allow sports betting publishers and their affiliate links in the app?
Yes, but only certain types of content, which we outline below:
Sports betting industry news
- March Madness betting: Wagers split on North Carolina and Kansas for title game
- Can North Carolina Sports Betting Bill Continue Last Year’s Momentum?
- NFL Sets Sports Betting Record with 100M Logins Over Week 1
Betting picks and analysis articles
- Top MLB Betting Odds & Picks for Monday, May 16th (2022)
- Miami Heat at Philadelphia 76ers Game 6 odds, picks and predictions
- Breaking down NFL betting splits for Rams vs. 49ers on Week 4 Monday Night Football
Q: What type of sports betting content is not allowed in Smartnews?
Sponsored content and promo code articles
- Best NFL Week 1 Betting Promos, Bonuses, and Free Bets
- The Best Masters Golf Betting Promo Codes & Bonuses for Augusta 2022
- Week 2 NFL Power Rankings, Presented By Amazon Prime Video
Live odds and widget pages
Q: What about our affiliate relationships with sports betting operators? Can we promote those offers in SmartNews?
We understand that promoting sports betting operators is an important part of your business and provides a relevant service to the reader. We allow affiliate content to surface in SmartNews, but with certain guidelines as to where it can be promoted within the SmartFormat feed.
- You may place contextual and relevant links to betting partners within the body text of articles
- You may not place non-contextual and irrelevant sports betting affiliate links within the body text of articles. Any non-contextual or irrelevant sports betting affiliate links can be added to the <snf:sponsoredLink> element of the feed.