Vox Media Reaches Deal To Acquire Group Nine

Deal

VOX MEDIA has reached agreement on a deal to acquire GROUP NINE, the media company owning brands like THRILLIST, NOWTHIS, THE DODO, POPSUGAR, and SEEKER, for an undisclosed price. VOX MEDIA CEO JIM BANKOFF will serve as Chair/CEO of the merged operation, with GROUP NINE CEO BEN LERER joining VOX's board. Terms were undisclosed but THE WALL STREET JOURNAL previously reported that the transaction is an all-stock deal with VOX taking 75% of the merged company and GROUP NINE holding the remaining 25%; The companies confirmed that the deal did not involve GROUP NINE's SPAC.

“Under BEN’s stewardship, GROUP NINE has navigated from a scrappy start-up to one of the biggest and most successful publishers in the industry. Much like us, their team has proven to be a leader in both building cherished media brands from the ground-up as well as successfully acquiring and integrating properties. With this acquisition, VOX MEDIA will extend its leadership into new categories, formats and distribution platforms by welcoming more beloved properties into our portfolio,” said BANKOFF. “Our combined company will be the premier home for creators, storytellers, journalists, product innovators and business people who want to grow their careers and have an impact through their work. This acquisition will build on and accelerate the leading creative and business strength that both companies already have achieved.”

LERER added, “We could not be more excited about the opportunity to join forces with VOX MEDIA. This combination will not only create unparalleled scale and revenue diversification, it will bring together some of the most popular brands, premium content, and creative and business talent in the world. There is no one I would trust more to lead this company and the team I love than JIM. He is not only kind and fair, but fearless and focused. This is the beginning of our most exciting chapter.”

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