BuzzFeed is in advanced talks to sell Complex Networks, the streetwise digital media company behind the popular ComplexCon cultural festival, at less than half the price it paid for the company two years ago, a sign of the industrywide troubles afflicting digital media.
BuzzFeed paid about $300 million for Complex in 2021.
Buzzfeed is planning to keep First We Feast, the division of Complex responsible for the popular “Hot Ones” interview franchise, after the transaction, one of the people said.
When BuzzFeed went public two years ago, it made Complex a centerpiece of its pitch to investors.
Complex was reliably profitable, a milestone that had eluded many in the digital media industry, and its portfolio of brands seemed a natural fit for BuzzFeed’s focus on young audiences.
Persons:
BuzzFeed, Buzzfeed
Organizations:
Networks, LiveNation Entertainment, Main Street Advisors, YouTube