With news of BuzzFeed considering a merger with Group Nine Media, mergers and acquisitions are suddenly back in the limelight for digital publishers. But the industry that stands to help the most from the current consolidation trend is sports media. The year ahead stands to be one primed for M&A discussion, as three companies have committed to exorbitant spending to capture customer attention: ESPN+, DAZN, and The Athletic. From Aryeh Bourkoff, CEO of LionTree in his year-end letter to investors:
Takeaway: Fanatics and UMG Bravado are on a collision course. The “great merch race” will be won by the agencies that value licensing agreements, trademarked products, and long-term partnerships. As “wearable intellectual property” continues to fuel online retail growth for artists, publishers, and everything-in-between, it will be the agencies that develop high-visibility / high sales rosters that will be acquired in the end.
WeWork (now: “We Company”) receives the mind share of real estate interest by tech and retail media. With over 7,900 employees and over 11,000,00 square feet under management, this is practical. But we’re beginning to see the tip of the iceberg for brands, real estate, and activation. By the end of 2019, two brands will be operating luxury hotel experiences. One is a luxury gym and retailer, the other is a digitally vertical native brand (DNVB). Both are moving consumers through the funnel with an age-old model that’s newer to brand sales. It will be everywhere before we know it.
