PMC Acquires Remaining Vox Media Brands, Sets PMX Subsidiary To House Combined Publishing Titles

Penske Media Corporation has acquired Vox Media‘s brands Eater, The Verge, SB Nation, PopSugar, The Dodo, Punch and Thrillist, along with Concert, Vox Media’s ad marketplace, and Forte, Vox Media’s first-party data platform.

In conjunction with the transaction, PMC has created a new subsidiary, PMX. It will combine the newly acquired brands and PMC’s existing publishing portfolio, which includes Deadline, Billboard, Variety, Rolling Stone, WWD, The Hollywood Reporter, Robb Report, Artforum, Sportico, SHE Media, StyleCaster, ARTnews, FN, IndieWire, VIBE, Billboard Music Charts and BEAUTYINC – 25 titles in total. The new division will be led by Vox Media President Ryan Pauley, who has been named President of PMX.

PMC took a 20% stake in Vox Media in 2023, becoming its largest shareholder. Last month, James Murdoch Lupa Systems acquired Vox Media’s New York magazine, including The Cut and Vulture, the Vox Media Podcast Network and Vox.com, to form a new company carrying the Vox Media name. Pauley, formerly Vox Media’s Chief Revenue Officer, took charge of the remaining brands as the head of a separate, then-unnamed company, which is now being bought by PMC.

Pauley will be based in New York and report to PMC Chairman & CEO Jay Penske and PMC President Craig Perreault. Tom Finn, PMC’s EVP of Strategy and Operations, has been named COO of PMX, adding the role to his existing responsibilities. Ken Delalcazar, PMC’s EVP of Finance, will expand his duties to include Chief Financial Officer of PMX.

The brands within PMX will remain independent though similarly themed titles such as Vox’s SB Nation and PMC’s Sportico as well as PMC’s SHE Media and Vox’s PopSugar will be aligned, sharing functions.

“I am very proud to welcome this tremendous team and leading brands to Penske Media,” Penske said. “We have long admired these unique brands and companies, and I’m thrilled to welcome Ryan Pauley to PMC. Ryan is a top executive who has demonstrated a clear ability to build leading technology and evolve media businesses, making him exceptionally well-positioned to lead PMX’s next chapter of growth.”

PMC, the largest publisher in digital media, produces more than 300 live events a year.

LionTree acted as financial advisor to Vox Media, and Clifford Chance US as legal advisor, in connection with the transaction.