Hachette UK announced today that it has acquired the British mobile game development studio Neon Play, which will operate as a standalone business under the Hachette umbrella. The move allows Hachette to publish authors on new platforms and the publisher to “pursue more generally our aim to generate rapid growth” on other platforms
The Financial Times is to significantly boost its advertiser-funded video and digital content by acquiring specialist firm Alpha Grid. Alpha Grid produces branded content across broadcast, video, digital and social as well as events. The FT is aiming to ramp up its content marketing operation, housed within a new studio operation FT2 launched in September, which […]
Condé Nast has acquired Backchannel, a tech business brand from social publishing platform Medium. Backchannel will continue to live on the Medium platform and will be ad supported through that platform, a similar model to Bill Simmons’ The Ringer
After 71 years, Ebony magazine is changing hands. Johnson Publishing, the Chicago-based family company that launched Ebony and digest-sized sister magazine Jet in 1945 and 1951, respectively, has sold both titles to Austin-based private equity firm Clear View Group
Time Out tourism city magazine IPO float shares tanked Oakley CapitalTime Out’s stockmarket debut fails to dazzle: One star – needs improvement. That’s likely what the army of writers at Time Out (TMO) would be thinking if they had to review the media group’s stockmarket flotation Tuesday. Shares in the culture and entertainment mag fell 10% on their first day trading on AIM, and questions must surely be asked about the timing, coming as it does amid a major sell-off ahead of the European Union referendum next week
Microsoft is buying the professional social network LinkedIn for $26.2 billion (£18.5bn) in one of the biggest technology deals in history. The news, announced on Monday afternoon, instantly sent LinkedIn’s share price soaring by 50 percent in pre-market trading. The deal will be the biggest in Microsoft’s history. Microsoft’s shares fell 3.5 percent on the news. Microsoft said LinkedIn boss Jeff Weiner would stay in charge and report to Satya Nadella.
The German publisher continues to focus on building its digital subscription business with $250m purchase of research company
Ten Alps, trading as Zinc Media, the TV and multimedia content producer, today announces the disposal of the trade of Grove House Publishing Limited (“Grove”), one of its publishing subsidiaries, for a cash consideration of £50,000. Ten Alps will also retain certain assets, including the debtor book and cash in Grove, subject to various completion adjustments.
Time Out, the publisher that recommends things to do in cities from New York to Beijing, has conditionally raised £90m ahead of listing on London’s junior stock market, as it embarks on an ambitious growth plan
Briefing Media today announces the acquisition of Global Data Systems (“GDS”). GDS is the publisher of two market leading intelligence platforms: FeedInfo – the world’s leading source of news and premium intelligence for the meat, biotechnology and animal feed sectors; and FlexNews – a vital news service for senior executives working at multinationals in the global food industry
Capita plc has today announced the acquisition of Health Analytics Ltd, the award-winning Cambridge-based company whose specialist software uses clinical and financial information to support health and social care organisations to make more informed decisions about the care they deliver
Always Marketing Services, which is majority-owned by WPP operating company J. Walter Thompson, has acquired Malaysian brand activation agency ePromode Sdn Bhd for an undisclosed sum
The media company moves from one PE firm—the Wicks Group—to another. Northstar’s management team stays in place
The company’s media business continues to wind down as events take over, but a spokesperson tells Folio: that UBM remains committed to its existing media assets
In one of the largest B2B media transactions this year, Northstar Travel Group, which provides a broad array of products in the retail and corporate events markets, was sold from one private-equity firm—the Wicks Group—to another, Wasserstein Partners, Northstar CEO Thomas Kemp said today.
Global PR firm Allison+Partners has joined other global networks increasing their German presence in recent months, with the acquisition of tech-focused Berlin and Munich agency Higher Ground Communications
UBM plc (LSE: UBM-LN) today announces that it has acquired Content Marketing Institute (CMI) for a consideration of $17.6m with an additional earn-out subject to meeting profit targets over the next 2 years
Reed Exhibitions has expanded its presence in South Korea with the Electronics Manufacturing Korea show, and three Home Table Deco Fairs. The shows have been acquired from Korean organiser K-Fairs, which has partnered with Reed previously in 2014. These acquisitions will add four new exhibitions to Reed’s growing portfolio of events, with the organiser recently announcing the launch of the World Travel Retail Expo
Star fund manager Neil Woodford is expected to be among investors in line to pick up a stake in media group Time Out when it unveils plans for its London listing tomorrow
The agency network said the private equity firm won’t be involved in its day-to-day operations, but it will help its growth strategy
