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(This interview was originally published in the October 2024 issue of the GPWA Times Magazine.)

Since 2014, you have been CEO of Tribuna Digital. Could you please share the story behind Tribuna Digital's inception and what exactly your company does?

Tribuna.com is a digital publishing company offering a variety of products: websites and apps in nine languages (English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian), social networking groups, YouTube, and TikTok channels. We can work on any platform where there is a sports audience.

If Better Collective buys media to place affiliate texts on various resources, we are such a resource ourselves. We rely on several components:


  1. In-depth statistics: We aim to be the first resource to combine match statistics with financial data. Are you wondering how much Mbappe and Haaland are worth per goal? We'll soon answer that with a special ranking.
  2. Community: Users can not only read but also influence what appears on the front page through rankings, comments, and blog posts, which can appear alongside editorial content.
  3. High journalistic standards and a sense of humor.


Could you provide a glimpse into your team's size, including both full-time staff and freelance contributors?
We are quite a large company, with over 150 staff members. Two-thirds are in editorial, and one-third are in development and product. Recently, we calculated that our team is spread across more than 30 countries, from Madagascar to Kazakhstan to Peru. And we continue to grow. If you are interested in developing a powerful sports product, please contact us.

What professional path were you on before Tribuna Digital? Did you have any prior experience in journalism or publishing?
I was fortunate to know from a young age that I wanted to create and manage sports media. In the six6th grade, I was first published in the top Belarusian sports newspaper. After university, I was invited to become the editor-in-chief of a sports newspaper. A few years later, a classmate and I launched a sports website, and within a few years, we reached an audience of one1 million users. In 2014, Tribuna.com, an international group, acquired us. Since then, we've been part of the same team.

Initially, we developed products in Ukraine and Belarus. Then, we entered the global market with a unique offering — powerful apps for Europe's top clubs: Barcelona, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, AC Milan, and others. To date, these apps have been downloaded over five5 million times. We believe we can serve the interests of club fans better than the official apps.

The release of the Tribuna.com general football application is planned for the near future, and it will compete with the best live scoring apps.

Was affiliate marketing part of Tribuna's initial business plan, or did it evolve organically from a news-focused platform?
Before the onset of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, our model was purely advertising-based. We were a profitable company growing dynamically. The war and the subsequent collapse of the advertising market in Ukraine forced us to introduce two new revenue streams: premium subscriptions and affiliate marketing.

I believe it was the right decision. Today, we have thousands of first-time depositors and thousands of premium subscribers. This success proves that our product is of high enough quality that people are willing to pay for it, and it also contributes to the sustainability of our business model. When Better Collective buys media, we don't need to buy anything; we have our own substantial media product that attracts traffic worldwide.

Tribuna has an impressive amount of constantly updated content. In your viewopinion, does the adage “content is king” still hold true in today's digital landscape?
Absolutely. Even in the age of AI, it is still people who make the difference. We believe our editorial team is among the world’s leaders in content packaging. We know how to create viral content that captures the attention of both hardcore fans and those with a casual interest in football/sports. This approach also aids in affiliate marketing.

Barcelona Live's social media channels have a vibrant community. How instrumental has social media been in driving organic traffic and FTDsS for Tribuna?
We have more than 15 million followers across our social media platforms, with the Barcelona blog alone boasting over three3 million in English. We use AI to create a large network of YouTube channels focused on club-related topics. We know how to convert social media traffic into website visits and FTD conversions.

Tribuna's website is available in six languages. How has this multilingual strategy expanded your reach and enabled you to tap into different markets?
We believe that the development of AI will contribute to the globalization of the media market. Currently, we run club YouTube channels in five languages, recording the video once. This significantly speeds up production and reduces costs.

While we don't yet believe in fully autonomous AI, we operate in a co-pilot mode where a human oversees the AI's work. Nonetheless, AI has certainly accelerated the process of producing content in multiple languages.

Tribuna features affiliate links for both sports betting and casinos. In your experience, how much crossover exists between sports bettors and casino game players?
Our goal is to produce quality media for both sports bettors and casino players. We know how to create an engaging product for the end user, and Google values keeping the audience satisfied. Our job is to respond to user intent.

What criteria do you use when deciding which affiliate programs to partner with? What key lessons have you learnt over the years about selecting the right programs for your sites?
We aim to create win-win situations and build long-term relationships. Trusted partners with a strong market reputation are important to us. Along with affiliates, we focus on branding to make sure our products help clients stand out.

Do you personally engage in sports betting or online/land-based casino gaming?
I don't have much enthusiasm for it. I've tried betting, but it doesn't fascinate me as much as building a powerful sports media. That's my real passion!

Could you describe your approach to SEO? What are some myths about SEO that you can share with your fellow GPWA members?
We place significant emphasis on SEO — both for affiliates and media. In short, we tinker with titles, descriptions, and meta tags as long as we can. In Ukraine, we already rank above Transfermarkt for specific queries like 'club + squad,' 'player + career,' and 'tournament + transfers.' We aim for the same results globally. We believe that those who approach SEO with as much passion as we do will win Google's favor.

How has the war in Ukraine affected your company and your team members?
We live in startup mode, and there is a war happening around us. We've set aside work-life balance for now and will return to it when Ukraine is no longer under attack from Russian missiles. That is the reality of life. Currently, five of our employees are serving in the Ukrainian army, and we are doing everything we can to support them in stopping Russian aggression.

When you were growing up, what profession did you want to be and what inspired this dream?
As I mentioned earlier, I was fortunate to know from a young age what I wanted to do. My wife often complains that I work too much, but I don't tire from working 60 or 70 hours a week instead of 40. It's incredibly exciting to create a great product. We are confident we can bring a new generation of media to sports fans. In fact, we're in the process of reinventing media. The old days of broadcast TV are over; now, users want to be part of the process, and we're giving them that opportunity.

Name three things that people reading this magazine don't know about you.
I think there are far more than three! So far, we may seem like a small Eastern European digital publisher, but add Tribuna.com to your bookmarks or download the app. We're actually making a cutting-edge product. One thing is certain: a team from Ukraine, a country currently at war, is capable of producing a world-class product and competing with the best publishers globally.