Thursday, June 30, 2011

News Corp. buys series of Australian parenting sites


News Corp.’s Australian division has acquired a series of parenting and child-related blog sites owned by Kidspot for AU$45 million, MediaGuardian reported today.

The Kidspot network includes Birth.com.au, Kidspot.co.nz, The Spot, SheSpot, Mums Say and Baby and Kids Market.

While the details of the deal were not disclosed, it is expected to be complete on Monday, according to a report by the NewsDigitalMedia Australia.

News Limited Chairman and chief executive, John Hartigan described the acquisition as a transformational deal that “makes us the leading player in the highly valuable online parenting market,” according to a report by paidContent. “The fact that Kidspot alone accounts for around 10% of the total online FMCG advertising market… shows the strength and potential of the business.”

The sites are extremely attractive to advertisers, Kidspot founder Katie May told NewsDigitalMedia Australia. “Kidspot’s unique approach to premium online content and innovative social and community connections, backed by News’ massive scale and infrastructure will be a powerful force in media and further entrench Kidspot’s position as a favourite destination for brand advertising partners.” 

May will now report to News Magazines chief executive, Sandra Hook.

The Kidspot group launched in 2005 and has become an established leader in the parenting business, counting over 31,000 Facebook fans - one of the largest, most active fan bases of any Australian media company, NewsDigitalMedia Australia noted.

According to reports the six-year old online blog network, the Kidspot group has a revenue  of $7m a year and more than 1.3 million unique visitors a month, The Register reported.

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