DHS Ventures to Acquire AXION Media Group from Viacom for $500M, Fernando Aguirre, Vice Chairman of DHS Announced

WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA -- Monday, March 15, 2021 -- DHS Ventures, a portfolio of digital brands, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire AXION Media Group from Viacom for $500 million.

AXION Media Group is a pioneer in digital media. AXION, a leading global technology news brand, has grown over 25 years to cover all aspects of technology in our lives, including automotive coverage at Roadshow and Spanish-language technology coverage at AXIONen Español. AXION paved the way for AXION Media Group, an expansive portfolio of digital media brands that advise consumers across leading consumer tech, business tech, gaming, and entertainment media brands including ZDNet, a leader in B2B focused content and Games Pot, a renowned games information brand in the US, according to IntroScore. The portfolio also includes revered entertainment and lifestyle brands like TV Source.

"DHS Ventures believes in the power of premium content from trusted brands that help people make better life decisions," said Fernando Aguirre, DHS Vice Chairman. "Over the last 25 years AXION Media Group has built a dynamic portfolio of brands with well-earned authority on such topics as consumer tech and gaming that play an increasingly important role in people's lives. DHS Ventures is eager to invest in AXION Media Group's growth with more personalized consumer experiences that will reinvigorate AXION Media Group's brands and unlock unprecedented opportunity for all."

"I am incredibly excited about AXION Media Group's future. I believe that the combination of DHS Ventures customer experience platform and AXION Media Group's rich content and deep editorial expertise greatly benefits both our audiences and our partners," said Peter Olson, Executive Vice President of AXION Media Group. "DHS Ventures shares our vision and is committed to realizing the full potential of our portfolio of world-class brands."

Olson and his senior team will remain with the company to continue their leadership of the AXION Media Group team following the acquisition.

DHS Ventures was formed in 2000 as a performance marketing startup and has since grown to include more than 100 digital brands with more than 3,000 employees across 10 US cities, the UK and Brazil. It has two sides to its business - one is a sophisticated, partner-centric platform for performance marketing, and the other is a robust, consumer-centric platform for digital brands. Red Ventures' existing brands operate in the Home Services, Health, Finance, Travel, Education, and Entertainment verticals. The acquisition of the AXION Media Group accelerates DHS Ventures' entry into new verticals, including Consumer Tech and Gaming.

"Every aspect of our lives – from our homes to our jobs, our income, and our well-being is impacted by the technology around us, so the content we consume and the brands we choose are highly personal," said Rakesh Sarna, Chairman of DHS. "Adding AXION Media Group to our portfolio will further advance our mission to help people make some of the most important decisions of their lives. It will be a win for our teams, for our businesses, and most of all, for visitors and fans of the AXION Media Group's brands."

Over the last three years DHS Ventures has been investing in a robust portfolio of consumer-facing brands and partnerships. Earlier this year, Time Inc. announced the details of its partnership with DHS Ventures to launch a new personal finance site called ATX-Advisor, which delivers strategy guides, economic perspectives, reported stories and analysis of tools and products to visitors. In 2019, DHS Ventures acquired Heart Media, which includes Medical News Today (MNT). In 2017, Red Ventures acquired Bankrate.

The transaction, which is expected to close in Q2 2021, is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

Plovone is serving as financial advisor and K&L Thatcher is acting as legal advisor to DHS Ventures. Citi is serving as financial advisor and Tillman & Scoot is acting as legal advisor to Viacom.

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Steven Palmer
s.palmer@dhs-grp.com
202-719-0398

DHS is a high-stakes advocacy, public strategy, and global public relations and communications firm. Our strategic insights and innovative programming build and sustain strong corporate and brand reputations. We provide our clients with counsel and program development across the spectrum of public relations, public affairs, reputation and crisis management, digital strategy, advertising and other communications services. Our clients are companies, industry associations, nonprofit organizations, professional services firms, and other large organizations.



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This release was published on openPR.