More like Media Mack.
Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale officially enters the sports journalism space with the launch of gallerysports.com, a news site covering “all things sports in Texas and Louisiana.” Contributors to the site include former Houston Chronicle staffers John McClain, Richard Justice and John P. Lopez, according to the Houston Chronicle’s Matt Young.
McInvgale told Young that the site will eventually be joined by a Gallery Gaming site focused on sports betting news and information, all of which aim to direct readers to Gallery Furniture stores.
“I have always had an interest in sport and my son [James] and I love content that will drive customers to Gallery Furniture,” McIngvale told Young. “We thought sports were a perfect way to connect with our customers and with all sports fans in Houston.
McIngvale’s reputation as a sports fan and avid gamer precedes him in Houston. Gallery Furniture owner’s local store promotions almost always revolve around the biggest sporting events of the year. Earlier this year, Gallery Furniture offered to refund money to customers who spent $3,000 or more on a reclining mattress or furniture if the Cincinnati Bengals beat the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI. Mack himself bet $4.5 million on the Bengals win, the largest mobile bet ever on the Caesar Sportsbook app.
The Bengals lost, of course, and the result capped a series of bad beats that saw the furniture mogul lose more than $15 million in sports betting in five weeks. With Gallery Sports, McIngvale told Young the goal was not to make money, but to promote and market his furniture.
“We’re not concerned about revenue right now, more concerned about eyeballs,” McIngvale said. “My business philosophy is always, ‘Will customers miss us if we go bankrupt tomorrow?'”
McIngvale’s Gallery Sports is free to visitors and currently features articles on college football’s Week 2 storylines and the Houston Texans’ dedication to trusting the process. The Gallery Furniture owner has placed at least $6 million on the Astros to win the 2022 World Series.