Media & Entertainment Acquisitions in Michigan

Nineteen Group, a PE-backed events and exhibitions operator, has acquired SubSummit, the subscription-commerce focused conference founded in 2016. The acquisition will allow Nineteen Group to scale SubSummit's flagship event and expand its U.S. presence while keeping the SubSummit brand and programming intact.

Pro Shop, a media and commerce company focused on golf culture, has acquired GolfWRX, a leading online golf community known for equipment reviews and forums. The deal expands Pro Shop's portfolio and content capabilities while allowing GolfWRX to retain editorial independence and access Pro Shop's creative, production, and PGA TOUR relationships.

Exceleration Music has acquired Detroit-based Mack Avenue Music Group, bringing the jazz label and its roster under Exceleration’s independent-music umbrella alongside Candid Records. The deal will combine Mack Avenue’s catalog and team (led by former Mack Avenue president Denny Stilwell) with Exceleration’s distribution, marketing and technology resources to expand the company’s reach in jazz and improvised music.

Fourth Estate Inc. has acquired Issue Media Group (IMG), a Detroit-based network of digital publications serving roughly 20 communities across five states. John Montgomery will serve as president and CEO while IMG founders Brian Boyle and Paul Schutt remain to support the transition and continue in sales and client services.

Duolingo, Inc. has acquired Hobbes, a Detroit-based animation and motion design studio, in an acquisihire that brings twelve designers and animators onto Duolingo's design team. The deal (cash plus equity awards) creates Duolingo's first dedicated motion design team and nearly doubles the size of its Detroit office to accelerate product animation and UX.

Valsoft Corporation, a Montreal-based acquirer and developer of vertical market software businesses, has acquired Aysling, a Saline, Michigan–headquartered provider of AdOrbit and media-publisher ERP/ad operations software. Aysling (previously part of the Fry Family Network / Fry Communications) will remain led by its management team and will be integrated into Valsoft's portfolio to expand Valsoft's capabilities in media publishing and ad operations.

AllGear Digital has acquired Pack Hacker, a Detroit-based digital publisher focused on travel gear reviews and buying guides. Pack Hacker's founder Tom Wahlin will remain as General Manager and Editor-in-Chief as the brand joins AllGear's portfolio of outdoor and active-lifestyle media properties.

Rockbot has acquired Nerdy Bunny, an interactive signage and retail display solutions platform, to strengthen its in-store media and experiential retail capabilities. The deal brings Nerdy Bunny's interactive merchandising, TV demo experiences and retail media ad-serving solutions into Rockbot's unified CMS platform to better serve retailers and brands.

Investing.com has completed the acquisition and integration of StreetInsider.com to expand its premium market-moving news feeds and enhance its InvestingPro subscription offering. The deal folds StreetInsider’s real-time breaking-news services and paywalled feeds into Investing.com’s platform to broaden content capabilities for retail investors while StreetInsider continues to operate as a stand-alone service for select feeds.

Coral Tree Partners, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm, acquired AMI Entertainment Network from The Gores Group. AMI operates a network of over 30,000 digital jukeboxes and video systems serving bars, restaurants and hospitality venues and is headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

BBTV Holdings Inc. acquired the assets of Outloud Media, a Detroit-based creator-economy business, to expand its Multi-Platform Partnership distribution and creator monetization capabilities on platforms such as Facebook and Snapchat. The deal is primarily structured as a five-year performance-based earn-out of up to US$5.0 million; Outloud Media generated US$4.0 million of revenue in the prior 12 months.

Gemini Media, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hour Media, has acquired the assets of Group Tour Media, the publisher of Group Tour Magazine and several related titles. The acquisition expands Hour Media’s portfolio in the travel/group-tour niche and will be integrated to enhance client service, reader experience and product distribution; Group Tour Media’s publisher Elly DeVries is stepping away as part of the transition.

AVL Creative, part of the Detroit-based Display Group, has acquired Fantasee Lighting and its FLI Rigging division. The deal brings lighting and rigging capabilities into the Display Group collective, expanding its end-to-end event production services and adding to its national footprint.

Betsperts Media & Technology Group has acquired 4for4.com, a subscription-based sports betting and fantasy football research and analytics site. The deal adds premium content and decision-support tools to Betsperts' portfolio (including the Fantasy Life app), expanding its audience and subscription offerings.

Beringer Capital, a North American private equity firm, acquired a majority stake in Detroit-based financial media and analytics platform Benzinga, valuing the company at approximately $300 million. Benzinga founder Jason Raznick will retain a significant ownership stake and continue to lead the business as Beringer supports growth via expanded content verticals, product improvements and deeper B2B partnerships.

Searchlight Capital Partners, in partnership with British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI), signed a definitive agreement to make a strategic investment in Adams Outdoor Advertising. The capital will support Adams' expansion across local U.S. markets, development of new digital sites and technology-enabled advertising capabilities, and pursuit of strategic M&A.

Century Technology Group, a Grand Rapids, Michigan family office, has acquired Th3rd Coast Digital Solutions, an immersive technology and media development firm based in Grand Haven, Michigan. The acquisition brings AR/VR, eLearning and media production capabilities into Century's portfolio to accelerate market penetration and expand capability offerings; financial terms were not disclosed.

BNP Media has acquired Food Safety Magazine, integrating the leading food-safety trade publication into its food, beverage and packaging group. The deal keeps key editorial and publishing staff in place and supports a transition for owners Bobby and Don Meeker into retirement while expanding BNP Media's content and event capabilities in the food-safety sector.

blinkx plc completed the all-cash acquisition of All Media Network, LLC, gaining consumer entertainment and music properties including AllMusic, AllMovie, SideReel and Celebified (together reaching over 25 million unique users per month). The deal, funded in late March 2015, is intended to be earnings accretive within the first full year and to strengthen blinkx's digital advertising platform by adding audience scale and editorial talent.