Gizmodo Media Group was an

online In computer technology and telecommunications, online indicates a state of connectivity, and offline indicates a disconnected state. In modern terminology, this usually refers to an Internet connection, but (especially when expressed as "on lin ...

media Media may refer to: Communication * Means of communication, tools and channels used to deliver information or data ** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising ** Interactive media, media that is inter ...

company and blog network formerly operated by Univision Communications (now

TelevisaUnivision TelevisaUnivision (formerly known as Univision Communications) is a Mexican-American media company headquartered in Miami and Mexico City that owns American Spanish language broadcast network Univision and free-to-air channels in Mexico such as ...

) in its Fusion Media Group division. The company was created from assets acquired from

Gawker Media Gawker Media LLC (formerly Blogwire, Inc. and Gawker Media, Inc.) was an American internet media company and Link farm#Blog network, blog network. It was founded by Nick Denton in October 2003 as Blogwire, and was based in New York City. Incorpor ...

during its bankruptcy in 2016. In April 2019, ''

Gizmodo ''Gizmodo'' () is a design, technology, science, and science fiction website. It was originally launched as part of the Gawker Media network run by Nick Denton. ''Gizmodo'' also includes the sub-blogs ''io9'' and ''Earther'', which focus on pop ...

'' and ''

The Onion ''The Onion'' is an American digital media company and newspaper organization that publishes satirical articles on international, national, and local news. The company is currently based in Chicago, but originated as a weekly print publication ...

'' were sold to

private equity firm A private equity firm or private equity company (often described as a financial sponsor) is an investment management company that provides financial backing and makes investments in the private equity of a Startup company, startup or of an existin ...

Great Hill Partners, which combined them into a new company named

G/O Media G/O Media Inc. is an American media holding company that owns and operates the digital media outlets '' Kotaku'' and '' The Root''. It was formed in 2019 after the private equity firm Great Hill Partners purchased two digital portfolios from ...

History

Univision acquisition (2016)

On June 10, 2016, Gawker Media filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after the company was ordered to pay $115 million in compensatory damages and a further $25 million in punitive damages in '' Bollea v. Gawker''. On August 16, 2016, Univision Communications purchased Gawker for $135 million. The purchase did not include the flagship website Gawker. It included the websites Gizmodo, Jezebel, Deadspin, Kotaku, Jalopnik, and Lifehacker. Univision named the unit Gizmodo Media Group after one of its blogs, ''

'', in an effort to distance itself from the Gawker name. On September 10, 2016, Univision removed six controversial posts from various Gawker Media sites, each with the note: "This story is no longer available as it is the subject of pending litigation against the prior owners of this site." On September 21, 2016, Raju Narisetti was named as CEO of Gizmodo Media Group.

Very Smart Brothas

On July 7, 2017, Gizmodo Media Group acquired the blog Very Smart Brothas.

Earther

In September 2017, Gizmodo Media Group launched its first new stand-alone site since acquisition from Gawker Media, Earther, devoted to environmental news, with Managing Editor Maddie Stone.

Televisa

In December 2017, Gizmodo Media Group announced a partnership with Mexican media conglomerate

Televisa Grupo Televisa, S.A.B., simply known as Televisa, is a Mexican telecommunications and broadcasting company. A major Latin American mass media corporation, it often presents itself as the largest producer of Spanish-language content. In April ...

to launch Spanish-language editions of websites such as ''Gizmodo'', ''Deadspin'', ''Kotaku'', ''Jalopnik'' and ''Jezebel''.

Struggles and sale

On May 8, 2018, the GMG Special Projects Desk published an article that highlighted various issues plaguing

Univision Univision () is an American Spanish-language terrestrial television, free-to-air television network owned by TelevisaUnivision. It is the United States' largest provider of Spanish-language content. The network's programming is aimed at the L ...

. On June 28, 2018, ''

The Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. Founded in 2008, the website is owned by IAC Inc. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief ...

'' reported that over forty GMG staffers would be taking union-negotiated buyouts, thereby averting

layoff A layoff or downsizing is the temporary suspension or permanent termination of employment of an employee or, more commonly, a group of employees (collective layoff) for business reasons, such as personnel management or downsizing an organization ...

s. On July 10, 2018, Univision announced that it would "explore" the option of selling all of the Gizmodo Media Group and ''

'' websites under its ownership.

Great Hill Partners acquisition (2019)

In April 2019, private equity firm Great Hill Partners agreed to purchase Gizmodo Media Group and ''The Onion'' from Univision. The sale was completed on April 8, 2019, with Gizmodo Media Group and ''The Onion'' being combined into a new company named

References

{{Univision Communications . 2019 mergers and acquisitions Blog networks Former Univision Communications subsidiaries Fusion Media Group Mass media companies based in New York City Mass media companies established in 2016 Private equity portfolio companies