When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Tribuna.com went from being a profitable sports media company to losing 90 per cent of its revenue overnight.

But rather than rolling over, the Ukrainian team behind one of the country's most respected newsrooms doubled down on an audacious plan: to build a global sports media empire that could compete with ESPN and OneFootball.

Two and a half years later, they've done exactly that. The Kyiv-based company has not only returned to pre-war revenue levels but also launched Football Xtra, an innovative app that's redefining how football fans engage with the sport worldwide.

The story of Tribuna.com's transformation reflects both the resilience of Ukrainian media and a sophisticated understanding of modern audience engagement. Founded over a decade ago by Dmitriy Navosha and Maks Berazinski, the company had built a solid business around traditional advertising and their flagship sports platform.

But the war changed everything.

"In March 2022, the revenue was zero," explains head of partnerships Iryna Chernukha. With Ukraine's advertising market collapsing, the team was forced to completely rethink their approach.

Rather than simply trying to survive, it........

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