Sports news and commentary Deadspin was sold again and its entire staff was laid off.
Deadspin, formerly owned by Gawker Media, became part of G/O Media in 2019. On Monday, G/O Media CEO Jim Spanfeller announced in a memo to the company's staff that Deadspin has been sold to European company Lineup Publishing.
This sale has left Deadspin staff confused. “Deadspin's new owners have made the decision not to continue the site's existing staff, but instead to build a new team more aligned with the brand's editorial vision,” Spanfeller wrote in the memo. “While the new owners intend to honor Deadpin's unique voice, they plan to take a different content approach when it comes to the site's general sports coverage. It means saying goodbye to the staff I received.”
Last fall, G/O Media shut down Jezebel after an attempt to sell the site failed. It was later acquired by Atlanta-based Paste Magazine.
According to Spanfeller's memo, Lineup Publishing is “dedicated, in their words, to the creation, acquisition, and management of high-quality media brands across a variety of sectors.” “It's a newly formed digital media company,” Spanfeller added. That we weren't actively shopping Deadspin. The decision to sell was based on a number of important factors, including the buyer's editorial plans for the brand, strong competition in the sports journalism field, and a valuation that reflected a significant premium over the site's original purchase price. ”
It's not clear who is behind Lineup Publishing or where the company is based. The only information on the website is the slogan, “Brand Captivating.” Add lots of personality,” it says next to the contact form. At the bottom of the homepage are the words “San Gwann, Malta,” indicating that the company is based in an island nation located in the Mediterranean Sea.
AG/O Media representatives referred inquiries to Lineup Publishing's PR email address, but did not receive a response.
In 2019, Spanfeller and private equity firm Great Hill Partners acquired The Onion from Gizmodo Media Group (formerly part of Gawker Media) and Univision, creating G/O Media. Established.
That same year, Deadspin's former staff resigned en masse in protest of new management's demand that staff write only about sports. Mr. Spanfeller then hired former New York Daily News editor-in-chief Jim Rich to manage Deadspin. Rich was promoted to editorial director at G/O Media, but resigned in mid-2021, citing opposition to reports of “interference” by Spanfeller and other company executives. In July 2023, Rich rejoined the company as his EIC for Deadspin.
