Digitalbox buys three GRV Media sites in ‘entertainment powerhouse’ bid

Online publisher Digitalbox has bought three sites from GRV Media Ltd as it aims to become an “entertainment powerhouse”.

GRV Media sold CelebrityTidbit.com, RealityTidbit.com and TheFocus.news, which centres on health, wellness and lifestyle content, because it decided to concentrate on its sports brands.

GRV claims to be Europe’s largest independent online sports publisher, with tens of millions of visitors each month to 40 websites.

Vic Daniels, GRV Media’s executive chairman, said: “The company has pivoted to sports journalism over the last few years, with the recent roll-out of highly successful websites The Tennis Gazette, The Golfing Gazette and F1 Oversteer and the acquisitions of Bloody Elbow, NFL Analysis and NBA Analysis.

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“We have recently been looking to find a good home for our entertainment properties. I have known Digitalbox and its CEO, James Carter, for several years, and I know that we share the same values towards our people and our brands.”

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Digitalbox already owns entertainment sites including Entertainment Daily, TV Guide and Emmerdale Insider as well as tongue-in-cheek brands The Daily Mash, The Poke and student news site The Tab.

It said the new additions would contribute to its “verticals strategy” through which it is focusing on highly-targeted entertainment sites benefiting from fans’ high engagement as it believes this is the type of content increasingly being favoured by Google and Facebook.

Emmerdale Insider was launched in August for this reason and Digitalbox said more acquisitions and launches will follow.

Carter said GRV Media’s “sites and highly skilled staff will help us expand, as we establish our position as an entertainment powerhouse”. Eight staff are moving from GRV Media to Digitalbox as part of the acquisition.

Digitalbox said that in the 12 months to 30 September, the three sites it has acquired generated revenue which was less than £84,000.

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