Townsquare Media Group has entered into an agreement to acquire AOL Music properties The Boot (theboot.com), The BoomBox (theboombox.com), NoiseCreep (noisecreep.com) as well as ComicsAlliance (comicsalliance.com) from AOL Inc. The new digital properties will join Townsquare Media Group’s national digital business, a portfolio of music and entertainment websites including Taste of Country (tasteofcountry.com), PopCrush (popcrush.com), ScreenCrush (screencrush.com) and Okayplayer (okayplayer.com). Before the buy, Townsquare’s digital properties reached over 52 million US monthly unique visitors. The Boot, The Boombox and NoiseCreep will expand the company’s scope into Country Music, Hip Hop and R&B and heavy metal, respectively.
ComicsAlliance is one of the most important and established online voices in the comic book industry. The site, a three-time and 2013 nominee for the industry’s esteemed Eisner Award, has hosted its own panel at ComicCon and has been featured on The Daily Show and in New York Magazine.
“The acquisition of these assets from AOL represents the continued rapid growth of Townsquare Media’s portfolio of owned and operated music and entertainment websites,” commented Townsquare Media Group Chairman and CEO, Steven Price. “Adding these premium brands to Townsquare Media’s comprehensive offering propels our scale beyond today’s 52 million US monthly unique visitors, allowing advertisers and agencies even greater access to this highly engaged and demographically desirable audience.”
As part of the transaction, members of the AOL Music and ComicsAlliance teams will be working with Townsquare Media’s team going forward.
RBR-TVBR observation: This is great content to add to format-specific websites at Townsquare stations as well. Advertisers can get in on cross-platform buys and the purchase will no doubt be used for cross-promotion with the sites and stations. As we’ve reported, there were rumors AOL Music was shutting down, but those have so far not materialized. Only a few music editors were let go. That, and the Townsquare announcement, look to be part of a broader move at cost-cutting.
