Minute Media

Minute Media Ltd. is an international digital media publisher based in London, England, with an associated research and development center in Tel Aviv, Israel. From founding as soccer publication 90min in Israel, the company has grown into a major new media holding company of a number of properties in the field of sports news and commentary, including The Players' Tribune and the FanSided blog network.

The company employs over 400 people and generates a reported $170 million in annual revenue, derived primarily from advertising. It is owned by venture capitalist and sports fan Asef Peled.

History

Establishment

Minute Media was first established in 2011 under the name 90min, a digital publication dedicated to soccer.[1][2] The company's founders included Asaf Peled, Yuval Larom, and Gili Beiman.[2]

Today the company employs over 400 employees in offices in New York, London, Tel-Aviv, Sao Paulo and Tokyo. [3]

In general, Minute Media is described as a global sports content and tech company. [4]

About 100 of the company's employees are based in Tel Aviv, most of whom work on technology and product development.

In May 2020, Minute Media launched its own technology brand, Voltax Video.[5]

In 2022, the company launched its own in-house supply-side platform.[6]

Content

The company owns multiple sports and entertainment brands including The Players' Tribune, 90min, FanSided and Mental Floss.

Acquisitions

Mental Floss was acquired by Minute Media from the estate of Felix Dennis in September 2018.[7]

In March 2019, Minute Media acquired The Big Lead, a news blog with heavy coverage of sports and popular culture, from newspaper giant Gannett.[8]

In November 2019, Minute Media announced the acquisition of The Players' Tribune, a digital media company founded by former New York Yankees star Derek Jeter.[2] The division is a media company which allows elite athletes to create their own content for public distribution, thereby bypassing the traditional model of making use of an intermediary publisher.

In January 2020, the company revealed its acquisition of FanSided, a network of more than 300 focused blogs dealing primarily with American professional and collegiate sports.[2]

In 2021 Minute Media made its first technology acquisition with Wazimo, a Tel Aviv-based company with expertise in combining engaging content with advanced technology to drive audience growth and monetization.[9]

In January 2024, Minute Media acquired STN Video. According to the company's Chief Media Officer, Andres Cardenas, "This acquisition will enable us to join our scale and become a leader in terms of sports video".[10] In March 2024, Minute Media licensed the publishing rights to Sports Illustrated from Authentic Brands Group under a ten-year agreement. It succeeds The Arena Group, whose agreement with ABG was cancelled in January 2024.[11]

Brands

References

  1. ^ Spangler, Todd (2020-02-26). "Minute Media, Owner of The Players' Tribune and FanSided, Set for More M&A After Raising $40 Million". Variety. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
  2. ^ a b c d "Minute Media Makes Fourth Acquisition in Two Years". CTECH - www.calcalistech.com. 2020-01-26. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  3. ^ "Minute Media Acquires STN Video, Expanding Its Video Footprint". January 24, 2024.
  4. ^ "PLAYERS' TRIBUNE PARENT MINUTE MEDIA ACQUIRES VIDEO PLATFORM STN". Sportico. January 24, 2024.
  5. ^ "Minute Media expands Voltax Video offering for publishers". CTECH - www.calcalistech.com. 2021-07-01. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  6. ^ "Minute Media cuts out the middleman to sell advertising direct". The Drum. September 16, 2022.
  7. ^ Sarah Jerde, "Minute Media Acquires Mental Floss," AdWeek, September 23, 2018.
  8. ^ Andrew Marchand, "Sale of The Big Lead Leaves Website Founder Jason McIntyre Out," New York Post, March 14, 2019.
  9. ^ "Minute Media acquires Israeli tech company Wazimo". Axios. November 10, 2021.
  10. ^ "Minute Media Acquires STN Video, Expanding Its Video Footprint". Adweek. January 24, 2024.
  11. ^ Mullin, Benjamin (2024-03-18). "A New Chapter for Sports Illustrated, With Plans to Keep Print". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-03-18.