Earlier this year, executives at social news site ViralNova had to make a decision. The two-year-old company that has never raised outside funding could stay independent and try to keep up with larger digital media companies like Vice and BuzzFeed on its own as was the plan since Sean Beckner joined as CEO in early 2014. Or it could become part of a larger media company to try to level the playing field. Mr. Beckner and ViralNova's founder Scott DeLong have chosen the latter.ViralNova has been acquired by Zealot Networks, an eleven-month-old media-and-entertainment company run by Danny Zappin who had co-founded Maker Studios, which Disney bought last year in a deal worth $950 million.After raising $30 million in funding last year, Mr. Zappin's new company has been building its business by buying a bunch of companies including a couple of talent management firms, three ad agencies, a content-licensing firm, a magazine publisher and a couple of music labels. Of the 15 acquisitions Zealot has completed since launching last year, ViralNova marks its largest one to date, said Mr. Zappin. He declined to say how much Zealot is paying for ViralNova but said that it's a cash-and-stock deal. Continue reading at AdAge.com Continue reading at 'Advertising Age'
[ Advertising Age | 2015-07-09 00:00:00 UTC ]