Fairfax Media has wholly acquired Allure Media, publisher of highly successful blogs Gizmodo Australia, Kotaku Australia and Lifehacker Australia.
Media Connect is reporting the purchase occurred after Fairfax Media bought Netus, a technology investment company which owned 85% of Allure Media and was previously owned by News Limited.
Upon the purchase, Fairfax Media then bought the final 15% of Allure Media off private shareholders to take full control.
“Fairfax purchased Allure just before Christmas. It’s business as usual
for us and there aren’t any changes to staff or titles as a result of
the transaction,” said Allure managing director Chris Janz.
“Over the past six years we’ve grown from a two-employee start-up to the
fastest growing top 20 publisher with three million UBs a month. We
have pretty aggressive plans to continue that growth. We don’t have
immediate plans to share content with Fairfax but will of course assess
any opportunities that provide a better product for our readers and
advertisers.”
Allure Media has gone through numerous successes since it launched a range of blogs licensed from US publisher Gawker in Australia, led by the aforementioned trio.
Nielson Online Traffic figures regularly have Lifehacker and Gizmodo in the top 10 Australian technology websites while Kotaku sits comfortably in the 10 for gaming.
In the week closing 10 December 2012, Kotaku was in position two in gaming with 28,276 average daily users while Gizmodo and Lifehacker where placed fourth and sixth respectively in technology.
Directly ahead of Gizmodo was Fairfax owned SMH Technology and The Age Technology.
Allure Media technology publisher Danny Allen told Media Connect that in the immediate future the company would continue working independently of Fairfax Media and no staff changes would be made as a result of the purchase.
Janz elaborated on the plans to expand by saying, “Lifehacker will launch a new channel focussed on IT professionals in the next few months and we’re looking at the health and fitness category for Sugar – and a new website targeted at business leaders later this half.
"We’re looking to fill seven roles at the moment across editorial and sales. They include account managers, editors for our new business title and a research and trade marketing role.”
Recently the company posted job advertisements on Seek looking for staff for a new business title. It also currently publishes the PopSugar, BellaSugar and FabSugar fashion and beauty sites.
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