'''SpinMedia''' (formerly '''Buzz Media''') was an American digital publisher which owned a number of [[pop culture]] websites, including ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'', [[Stereogum]], ''[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]'' and ''[[The Frisky (website)|The Frisky]]''.<ref>{{cite news|title=BUZZMEDIA Acquires Top Women`s Entertainment & Lifestyle Website The Frisky from Turner Broadcasting|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/11/idUS148274+11-Feb-2011+BW20110211|accessdate=4 September 2015|publisher=Reuters|date=11 February 2011}}</ref>

Buzz Media was founded by Anthony Batt (CEO), Marc Brown, Kevin Woolery, and Steve Haldane under the name Buzznet.<ref name="Batt">{{Cite web |title= Interview with Anthony Batt, Co-Founder, Buzznet |work= SoCal Tech" High Tech News and Information for Southern California |date= May 10, 2006 |author= Ben Kuo |url= http://www.socaltech.com/interview_with_anthony_batt__co-founder__buzznet/s-0003953.html |accessdate= October 23, 2013 }}</ref>

Batt and Brown started a [[blog]] in 1999, and by 2006 Buzznet had a total of nine people in the [[Los Angeles]], [[California]] area.<ref name="Batt" /> The Buzz media name was created as the company started to acquire more pop-culture and music blogs.

The company announced on March 19, 2009 it raised US$12.5 million in funding from [[venture capital]]ists that include companies that had already invested in the company, such as Anthem Ventures, [[New Enterprise Associates]], [[Redpoint Ventures]], and [[Sutter Hill Ventures]], as well as new investor Focus Ventures.<ref name=blogherald>{{cite web |accessdate=2010-04-07 |url=http://www.blogherald.com/2009/03/20/buzznet-becomes-buzz-media-raises-125-million-new-funding/ |title=Buzznet becomes Buzz Media; Raises $12.5 million new funding |publisher=Blog Herald |date=2009-03-20 |author=Rivera, Dominic }}</ref><ref name=paidcontent>{{cite web |accessdate=2010-04-07 |url=http://paidcontent.org/article/419-buzznet-raises-12.5-million-changes-name-to-buzz-media/ |title= Buzznet Raises $12.5 Million; Changes Name To Buzz Media |publisher=paidContent |date=2009-03-19 |author=Maher, Rory }}</ref>

It acquired Spin Media, publisher of ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' magazine in July 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |title= BUZZMEDIA Buys Spin |work= SoCal Tech" High Tech News and Information for Southern California |date= July 10, 2012 |url=http://www.socaltech.com/buzzmedia_buys_spin/s-0043738.html |accessdate= October 23, 2013 }}</ref>

After shutting down the print version of the magazine, reducing its staff to about 200, and focusing on advertising, it rebranded itself as SpinMedia in March 2013.<ref name="Bill">{{Cite news |url= http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/branding/1554416/buzzmedia-rebrands-itself-spinmedia |title= Buzzmedia Rebrands Itself SpinMedia |work= [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |publisher= |date= March 25, 2013 |accessdate= October 23, 2013 }}</ref>

At that time, Steve Hansen became its chief executive.<ref name="Bill" />

In April 2013 it acquired ''[[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]]'' magazine.<ref>{{Cite news |title= Vibe Magazine Purchased by SpinMedia, Will Probably Go Online-Only |work= Billboard |date= April 25, 2013 |url= http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/branding/1559605/vibe-magazine-purchased-by-spinmedia-will-probably-go-online-only |accessdate= October 23, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title= Vibe Magazine Is Sold and Likely to Become Online Only |author= Ben Sisario |date= April 25, 2013 |work= The New York Times |url= http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/26/business/media/spinmedia-buys-vibe-magazine.html |accessdate= October 23, 2013 }}</ref> In 2014, [[M/C Partners]] became the primary owner of SpinMedia after an [[General assignment|assignment for benefit of creditors]].<ref>{{Cite web| last = andy_gensler| title = SpinMedia LLC Acquired By New Investors as SpinMedia Group Receives $10M| work = Billboard| format = Text| accessdate = 2017-01-02| date = 2014-02-03| url = http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/5893882/spinmedia-llc-acquired-by-new-investors-as-spinmedia-group-receives-10m}}</ref>

In September 2016, SpinMedia sold [[Buzznet]], [[Idolator (website)|Idolator]], and PureVolume to startup corporation Hive Media.<ref name=Sells>{{cite news|last1=Rys|first1=Dan|title=SpinMedia Sells Idolator, Buzznet & PureVolume to Hive Media|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/business/7518064/spinmedia-sells-idolator-buzznet-purevolume-hive-media|accessdate=22 September 2016|work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|publisher=|date=September 21, 2016}}</ref> In December 2016, SpinMedia shut down, selling music sites [[Spin (magazine)|SPIN]], [[Vibe (magazine)|Vibe]], [[Stereogum]], and Death and Taxes to [[Prometheus Global Media]]<ref>{{Cite web| title = Spin, Vibe & Stereogum sold to Billboard/Hollywood Reporter| work = BrooklynVegan| accessdate = 2017-01-02| url = http://www.brooklynvegan.com/spin-vibe-stereogum-sold-to-billboardhollywood-reporter/}}</ref> and celebrity site such as [[Celebuzz]], [[The Frisky]], [[The Superficial]] were sold to [[CPX Interactive]].<ref>{{Cite web| title = more SpinMedia sites sold (RIP SpinMedia)| work = BrooklynVegan| accessdate = 2017-01-02| url = http://www.brooklynvegan.com/more-spinmedia-sites-sold-rip-spinmedia/}}</ref>

==References==

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==External links==

* {{official website|http://www.spinmedia.com/}}

[[Category:Companies based in Los Angeles]]

[[Category:Blog networks]]

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