Glam Media, Inc., a social content platform company with a large online global reach for women, has acquired Ning, a Palo Alto, Calif.-based online platform for building social websites.
Launched in 2005, Glam Media currently has more than 2,500 publishers and 4,000 authors globally with partnerships with over 1,000 brand advertisers. it has more than 85 million monthly unique visitors in the U.S. and more than 200 million globally.
Founded in 2004 by Chairman Marc Andreessen and Gina Bianchini and led by CEO Jason Rosenthal, Ning currently has more than 100 million registered user social profiles and reaches more than 60 million monthly unique visitors. Customers include active brands, causes and organizations.
Following the close of the transaction, Ning will operate as a new business unit within Glam Media. Jason Rosenthal will join Glam as EVP Social Media & General Manager of Ning, and will be a member of the executive team. Andreessen will join the board of directors (read here his post about the merger).
The deal is intended to provide Glam Media publishers and authors with new ways to connect, create and broadcast content across multiple mediums and social streams. Ning creators will have new chances to monetize their sites and grow their businesses.
Commenting on the deal, Samir Arora, Chairman and CEO of Glam Media, said: “Acquiring Ning adds a natural extension to our social media platform, new distribution channels and a talented Silicon Valley team, all of which support our aim to connect brands with engaged, passionate audiences“.
FinSMEs
24/09/2011