News

Nine to combine motoring platforms with CarAdvice and Drive merger

Nine is to merge its CarAdvice and Drive motoring platforms in an agreement announced today.

Mumbrella understands the merger will result in up to ten redundancies as the former Fairfax’s Drive Network is absorbed into the Nine-owned CarAdvice platform.

CarAdvice CEO Andrew Beecher: “The Drive brand is well known and loved in Australia

The merger will see CarAdvice’s content shared onto the Drive’s digital and print platforms.

CarAdvice CEO, Andrew Beecher, said in the announcement: “Today’s merger cements CarAdvice’s position as Australia’s leading new car content publisher.

“The Drive brand is well known and loved in Australia and we are excited to see our world-class content extend into print,” he added.

Fairfax’s Drive brand was operated as a joint venture between the publisher and 112 Pty Ltd, a company made up of automotive industry executives, and was responsible for automotive editorial and listings masthead in the print and digital editions of The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald.

Nine bought a majority stake in CarAdvice in September of 2016 for $35m and took control of the business last year.

Alborz Fallah, CarAdvice.com founder and director of content said: “Our acquisition of Drive and our greatly expanded reach into print gives us yet another platform to awhole new audience, whilst bringing Drive’s dealer expertise to our platform.”

Chris Polites, Drive Network CEO said of the move: “I am thrilled to see Drive have the opportunity to extend our innovative dealer lead model to CarAdvice’s online audience, and look forward to working with the team.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Get the latest media and marketing industry news (and views) direct to your inbox.

Sign up to the free Mumbrella newsletter now.

 

SUBSCRIBE

Sign up to our free daily update to get the latest in media and marketing.