IPC Media sells Wedding and Wedding Flowers magazines to Hubert Burda Media UK

November 19, 2010 — Fusion DigiNet

As part of the review of IPC Media’s niche and specialist titles, IPC Media has sold Wedding and Wedding Flowers to Hubert Burda Media UK.

Wedding is an inspirational glossy for brides-to-be, offering a myriad of ideas for the most glamorous event of its readers’ lives. Wedding Flowers is the UK’s only consumer magazine devoted to big day blooms, providing beautiful ideas alongside practical and expert advice.

The deal sees Burda acquire the brands – currently published within the IPC Southbank portfolio – with immediate effect. There will be no interruption to the publishing schedule of the titles.

Hubert Burda Media UK publishes a number of respected consumer and b2b titles, including Love it!, Full House!, Your Home, Essential Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom Magazine and Essential Kitchen & Bathroom Business.

IPC Southbank managing director Jackie Newcombe says:

“It has been a pleasure to work with Catherine Westwood and her team over the past few years; they are hugely talented and have produced two magazines of real quality for IPC Southbank. I know that I speak for all my colleagues in wishing them well in their new home and I would like to thank them personally for their contribution to our business.”

Luke Patten, CEO of Hubert Burda Media UK, says: “We are delighted to add Wedding and Wedding Flowers to our portfolio, and look forward to welcoming the entire team to our High Holborn office. Laying claim to 25 successful years already, both titles will be receiving significant investment in order to improve and expand the brands even further.”

Staff transfer to Burda with immediate effect.

UK, London

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Newsweek and The Daily Beast combine

November 19, 2010 — Fusion DigiNet

Newsweek magazine and The Daily Beast, an operating company of IAC, have agreed to merge their operations in a joint venture to be owned equally by Sidney Harman and IAC.

The new entity will be called The Newsweek Daily Beast Company. The directors of the joint venture will include Dr. Harman as Executive Chairman, IAC Chairman Barry Diller, and one director each to be appointed from either side.

Dr. Harman, who acquired Newsweek magazine from the Washington Post Co. over the summer, said: “In an admittedly challenging time, this merger provides the ideal combination of established journalism authority and bright, bristling website savvy. I like partnering with Barry Diller and I look forward to building our company with Tina Brown and Stephen Colvin.”

Sidney Harman is Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Harman International, the worldwide audio manufacturer. He served as U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce, founded the Program on Technology, Public Policy and Human Development at Harvard University and holds a Presidential Chair at the University of Southern California where he is Professor of Polymathy. He is a trustee of the California Institute of Technology. He is the founder of the Harman Center for the Arts and of Sidney Harman Hall in Washington, D.C.

Tina Brown, a founding partner and Editor-in-Chief of The Daily Beast, will be Editor-in-Chief of both Newsweek magazine and The Daily Beast. The President of The Daily Beast, Stephen Colvin, will serve as CEO of the combined venture.

“I see Newsweek and the Beast as a marriage between Newsweek’s journalistic depth and the vibrant versatility The Daily Beast has realized on the web,” said Ms. Brown. “The metabolism of The Daily Beast will help power the resurgence of Newsweek and Newsweek amplifies the range of talent and audience The Daily Beast can reach. The two entities together offer writers, photographers and marketers a powerful dual platform.”

“I am really excited we were able to (finally) put this together,” said Mr. Diller. “In The Daily Beast, Tina and her truly great team have in Internet-time created an hourly, daily newsmagazine and now will have the ability to revive the weekly venerable Newsweek with all the tools and sensibility they’ve perfected in the Beast. I’m so pleased to join with Dr. Harman in our new Company. He’s such a compelling force and I’m sure he will stimulate this undertaking every day.”

Created by Tina Brown and IAC in October of 2008, The Daily Beast is a website dedicated to news and commentary, culture and entertainment that has quickly become one of the most recognized national news brands. The two-year old business has swiftly reached an audience of nearly 5 million monthly unique visitors and has just been rated by TIME magazine this year as one of the five best news sites in the country. Prior to launching The Daily Beast, Ms. Brown made a career rejuvenating storied magazines including Tatler in the UK, Vanity Fair and the New Yorker.

Newsweek Magazine is an award-winning, weekly news magazine that provides comprehensive coverage of national and international affairs, business, science and technology and arts and entertainment. It has three English-language editions overseas and six weekly local-language editions.

Since his appointment in 2009 as President of the Daily Beast, Mr. Colvin has had a significant impact in all areas of the business, including securing numerous 2010 marketing partnerships that have translated into more than 60 advertising campaigns on The Daily Beast. Previously Mr. Colvin was CEO of Dennis Publishing US where he oversaw the launch of many media properties including The Week magazine and Maxim. Before joining The Daily Beast he was Executive Vice President of CBS Interactive.

“Consumers and advertisers value media distributed across multiple platforms,” said Mr. Colvin. “The merger of The Daily Beast and Newsweek audiences creates a powerful global media property for the digital age.”

Guggenheim Securities, LLC advised Dr. Harman on the transaction. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP served as lead counsel for IAC, and Williams & Connolly LLP represented Dr. Harman.

USA, New York, NY

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Expedia to acquire mobile travel apps business Mobiata

November 19, 2010 — Fusion DigiNet

Expedia has entered into an agreement to acquire Mobiata, creator of best selling mobile travel applications including FlightTrack. The deal marks Expedia’s most significant investment to date in addressing the mobile travel market, and accelerates the company’s ability to enable mobile travel shopping and booking across multiple platforms.

“With the pace at which mobile traffic to Expedia sites is exploding, we wanted the right team to help us address the sizable opportunity swiftly and successfully,” said Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Expedia, Inc. “There’s simply no better company out there doing mobile travel apps with the same level of design sensibility and utility as Mobiata.”

In its first two years since it was founded in 2008, Mobiata has developed a host of best selling travel apps, including FlightTrack, which has ranked a Top 5 best selling iPhone travel app for 18 months straight; best selling itinerary manager app TripDeck™ and best selling hotel booking app HotelPal™.

“We are thrilled to be joining the biggest and best online travel company while maintaining the creative passion for mobile travel apps that makes Mobiata unique,” said Ben Kazez, president and founder of Mobiata. “Together with Expedia, we believe we can continue to revolutionize the way people plan, book, and manage travel – from anywhere on any device.”

Mobile traffic currently accounts for approximately four percent of all visitors to Expedia.com®, with mobile bookings up in 2010 nearly five times over the previous year. “Mobile and travel are just made for each other,” said Joe Megibow, VP of Global Analytics and Optimization for Expedia®. “The mobile device is always with us; it’s always on. Getting mobile right for our customers is something we take very seriously.”

With its experience offering mobile travel design and development services to third parties, Mobiata brings to Expedia the proven ability to design and execute the most compelling travel apps available to mobile users.

Mobiata will remain in its headquarters in Ann Arbor, MI. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

USA, Ann Abbor, MI & Bellevue, WA

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Sittercity acquires in-home care website Sitters.com

November 19, 2010 — Fusion DigiNet

Sittercity.com has acquired Sitters.com website. Sitters.com is the third-largest in-home care website and has developed a significant sitter and parent network throughout its almost 10 year history. This acquisition will expand Sittercity’s current database of close to 2 million users. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Sittercity.com helps people in need find experienced babysitters, nannies, pet sitters, dog walkers, housekeepers and tutors nationwide.

“We are excited to announce the acquisition of Sitters.com,” said Martin Clifford, CEO of Sittercity. “It significantly expands our portfolio and strengthens Sittercity’s competitive advantage in the marketplace.”

“For almost a decade, Sitters.com and Sittercity.com have been pioneers of the in-home online care industry,” said Mike Cravens, founder of Sitters.com. “Our two companies have revolutionized the manner in which parents and individuals are able to find in-home care providers, giving them the tools they need to find a safe, reliable sitter in their neighborhood.”

Cravens will become a strategic advisor to Sittercity as well as a stockholder.

USA, Chicago, IL

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Thomson Reuters Acquires Pangea3

November 19, 2010 — Fusion DigiNet

Thomson Reuters has acquired Pangea3, a fast-growing legal process outsourcing (LPO) provider serving corporate legal departments and law firms worldwide. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The acquisition extends the Thomson Reuters strategy to develop world-class information, software and workflow solutions for legal professionals around the world. Pangea3 is headquartered in New York and Mumbai, India, and has 650 employees at its major delivery centers in Mumbai and New Delhi. Pangea3’s client base includes Am Law 250 law firms and some of the world’s largest financial services, pharmaceutical, healthcare, food and beverage, technology and consumer goods companies. The firm offers a variety of services organized into four distinct lines of business including legal document review; corporate transactions; intellectual property; and risk management and compliance.

Peter Warwick, president and chief executive officer of Thomson Reuters, Legal, said legal process outsourcing adds a vital strategic complement to the Thomson Reuters portfolio of specialized information and workflow solutions, and will be key to helping law firms and corporate legal departments be more responsive and cost-effective. “Pangea3 is true to our mission to help the legal system perform better, every day, worldwide; we will now bring to the legal marketplace a responsive, high-quality, transformative resource for a broad range of legal support work. This is particularly important as law firms and general counsel adjust to the realities of the ‘new normal,’ where efficiency, quality and responsiveness are paramount,” he noted.

Pangea3 is seen as the world standard in the LPO marketplace, which is growing at more than 20 percent annually and projected to exceed U.S. $1 billion this year.

“The addition of Pangea3 to the Thomson Reuters family creates a solid foundation in the global solutions suite that is a perfect fit in our long-term growth strategy,” said Tony Abena, president and general manager, Global Legal Solutions. “With overlays in key  segments including our Corporate General Counsel, IP Solutions, Governance, Risk and Compliance and Law Firm businesses, we’re aligning ourselves more closely into general counsel and law firm workflows. Pangea3 brings to Thomson Reuters a broad and rapidly growing client base, and a reputation that is unmatched in the LPO marketplace. I’m very pleased to welcome the Pangea3 team to Thomson Reuters.”

“Joining forces with Thomson Reuters will further accelerate and expand our ability to provide impactful and transformative solutions to our corporate and law firm clients,” said David Perla and Sanjay Kamlani, co-CEOs of Pangea3. “Thomson Reuters is the perfect partner for Pangea3’s clients and team-members to continue to grow and solve the increasingly complex and expensive challenges facing legal professionals around the globe.”

“Pangea3 has been a valued provider for me, and is an attractive alternative for my clients,” said Jeff Jaeckel, a partner at Morrison & Foerster and head of Morrison & Foerster’s Washington, D.C. and Virginia Litigation Department. “We look forward to even bigger and better solutions as Pangea3 joins forces with Thomson Reuters.”

Founded in 2004 by Perla, formerly Monster.com vice president, Business & Legal Affairs, and Kamlani, who was OfficeTiger CFO and general counsel, Pangea3’s team of top-tier legal talent uses rigorous Six Sigma methodologies to ensure high-quality legal services. Perla and Kamlani will continue in their current roles, and all 650 Pangea3 employees will join Thomson Reuters, remaining based in their New York, Mumbai and New Delhi offices.
India, Mumbai & USA, New York, NY

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ZeniMax Media acquires game publisher Bethesda Softworks

November 19, 2010 — Fusion DigiNet

ZeniMax Media Acquires European StudiZeniMax Media, parent company of noted game publisher Bethesda Softworks, today announced it has acquired a European development studio, MachineGames, based in Uppsala, Sweden.

Established in 2009 by the founding members of Starbreeze Studios, the creative team behind the award-winning title, The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher’s Bay and the highly-regarded game, The Darkness, MachineGames is working on an unannounced project for ZeniMax publishing subsidiary, Bethesda Softworks, that is being built on id Software’s revolutionary id Tech® 5 engine technology.

Jerk Gustafsson, the studio’s CEO who will also oversee development as Executive Producer, expressed his studio’s enthusiasm at joining ZeniMax by saying, “Working with our new colleagues at id and the world class publisher, Bethesda Softworks, is a tremendous opportunity.”

“MachineGames has assembled a dedicated team that has extensive experience working together to produce quality games. We are excited to create a new AAA title for gamers on id Tech 5 that will push the game development envelope,” Gustafsson continued.

MachineGames joins a group of high-profile development studios which includes Bethesda Game Studios®, id® Software, Arkane® Studios and Tango Gameworks™. This deal reinforces Bethesda’s commitment to delivering premier titles to gamers worldwide.

“MachineGames shares our passion for creating ground-breaking gaming experiences,” said Robert Altman, Chairman and CEO of ZeniMax Media. “We are excited to have these accomplished industry veterans join ZeniMax Media’s group of world-class studios.”

Sweden, Uppsala & USA, Rockville, MD

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NBCU acquires TV prodco Monkey Kingdom

November 19, 2010 — Fusion DigiNet

NBC Universal has acquired indie Monkey Kingdom for an undisclosed sum. Under the erms of the agreement NBCU will acquire 100% of the company and all Monkey library rights. This is NBCU’s second UK prodution company acquisition. NBCU also acquired Carnival Film & Television in 2008. It is the first acquisition by the studio since the appointment of Michael Edelstein as NBCU president of international TV production.

Monkey Kingdom was founded in 2001 by producers David Granger and Will Macdonald. The company delivers scripted, factual and entertainment programming in both the UK and the USA. Monkey has a proven ability to produce a wide range of content, as diverse as The Charlotte Church Show, The House Of Obsessive Compulsives, The Secret World of Sam King and Prince Charles’ Other Mistress, ensuring that ideas will always be given the best possible creative and production support.

UK, London & USA, New York, NY

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Federated Media acquires Foodbuzz

November 18, 2010 — Fusion DigiNet

Federated Media has acquired Foodbuzz, an online food community that, according to Federated Media, is the fastest growing in its space.

Foodbuzz has more than 4,400 independent food bloggers reaching more than 14 million unique users per month. Combined with Federated Media’s premier food sites, including Serious Eats and Bakerella, the new offering will give marketers increased opportunities to engage with audiences sharing recipes and recommendations.

Federated Media’s purchase of Foodbuzz comes on the heels of three other significant transactions: the acquisition of BigTent, the leading community platform for local groups, especially groups of parents; the acquisition of semantic-search technology from TextDigger; and a partnership with the Clever Girls Collective to reach audiences on more than 1,000 top-quality lifestyle blogs.

USA, San Francisco, CA

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UBM acquires Publishing Expo tradeshow for £320,000

November 11, 2010 — Fusion DigiNet

United Business Media has acquired Publishing Expo, a tradeshow serving the UK publishing industry. UBM is acquiring the event on behalf of UBM Live from Legend Exhibitions Ltd for a total cash consideration of £320,000.

First staged in 2006, Publishing Expo () is the only major exhibition in the UK dedicated to the full range of digital and print publishing solutions. It comprises a two day exhibition and a free seminar programme addressing key issues in the publishing industries, as well as providing an opportunity to meet suppliers from all segments of digital and traditional media. The event attracts key decision-makers including senior production, circulation and distribution, marketing, design, editorial and sales staff from all types of publishing businesses, and increasingly those which are expanding into online and other digital publishing environments.

The 2011 edition of Publishing Expo will take place at Earls Court in London on 1-2 March and will be co-located with UBM Live’s existing complementary tradeshows Technology For Marketing & Advertising (www.t-f-m.co.uk) and the Online Advertising & Affiliate Expo. Publishing Expo will form part of UBM Live’s Marketing Technology and E Commerce Portfolio, which also includes Internet World and E Commerce Expo.

The acquisition is anticipated to exceed UBM’s cost of capital criterion in its first full year of ownership.

Simon Foster, Chief Executive of UBM Live said:

“The acquisition of Publishing Expo adds a further industry-leading event that complements our Technology For Marketing & Advertising and Online Advertising and Affiliate Expo events. Co-locating these events at a single venue at Earls Court in 2011 will enable us to provide the UK’s first comprehensive live event solution for marketing, advertising and media professionals and businesses.”

UK, London

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Private equity firm Wafra Partners acquires All Island Media

November 10, 2010 — Fusion DigiNet

Private equity firm Wafra Partners has acquired All Island Media, a shopper publication group serving the Long Island, New York local media market. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

USA, New York, NY

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