Pedestrian TV and Allure merge, with Jason Scott to depart
Allure Media CEO Jason Scott is leaving the business, as it prepares to combine with Nine’s youth publisher, Pedestrian TV.
Staff at Allure Media – which owns titles such as Popsugar, Gizmodo and Business Insider – were informed this morning.
Jason Scott will leave the business
Allure Media, a specialist publishing arm, was owned by Fairfax Media, but as of Monday came under Nine ownership. It was initially launched in Australia by Nine’s new publishing boss, Chris Janz. Five years ago, Scott was appointed to the helm. Meanwhile, Nine acquired a 60% in Pedestrian for $10m, in 2015, and this year bought the remainder 40% for $39m.
Outside of Scott, most of the redundancies are in the commercial team, and are part of the 92 already announced by Nine last week. Nine confirmed executive editor of women’s lifestyle, Amanda Bardas and group publisher of business and technology, Paul Colgan would remain with the business. Former group publisher of Popsugar, Who What Wear, Byrdie and MyDomaine Australia, Alison Rice, left the business in September.
Pedestrian TV is one of the contributors to Nine’s digital publishing growth. Allure Media’s assets will now be folded into the business
The wider Pedestrian TV Group will now be run by Pedestrian founders Oscar Martin and Chris Wirasinha, with all staff to be relocated to Pedestrian TV’s offices by January. Wirasinha and Martin will report directly to Janz.
“The past 13 years have been a wild ride for Pedestrian and we’re pumped to welcome Allure Media into the family to create a clear publishing leader for marketers wanting to target young Aussies,” said Wirasinha.
“The combination of the brands alongside Pedestrian’s existing commercial relationships that include Tinder and Big Flick Energy, and our new exciting TV partnership with 9Go, will give advertisers unprecedented opportunities to reach more millennials and Gen Zers than ever before.”
Following the release of Nine’s latest financial results, CEO Hugh Marks described the now combined digital assets – Car Advice, Pedestrian TV, Allure Media and Future Women – as profit boosters.
Revenue from digital publishing was up from $119m last year to $125m for Nine, an increase of 5%.
“You’ve got Allure and Pedestrian and 9Honey. You’ve got obviously have our news brand and the Fairfax news brands – all diverse and all will be invested in,” Marks said at the time.
“There’ll be some games to be got just from a) strategy, b) sales strategy and c) hopefully some cost efficiency and making sure that we are not double spending on things. It’s another bright part of the business probably into 2020.”
Jesus Christ, Pedestrian’s click bait hysterics x Business Insider should make for some interesting ‘synergies’.
User ID not verified.
Have been out of scene for a little while and have not caught up with Jason recently so hope that this was mutual. Jason is a bloody legend and great operator, onwards and upwards
User ID not verified.
Allure Media was a bunch of click bait / SEO / advertorial sites. No great loss nor legacy worth mourning.
Next.
User ID not verified.
“We need to talk about business things, you guys”
User ID not verified.
I used to wear a neck tie. I’m ready to discuss business?
User ID not verified.
‘Are neck ties a patriarchal tool for disenfranchising part-time vegans?’ Today on the new Business Insider.
User ID not verified.
still can’t believe that the combined entity is named after the dying business from the dying industry.
User ID not verified.