Fandom describes itself as “the world’s largest fan platform,” a network made up of 250,000 Wiki communities, 300 million monthly active users (MAU) and 40 million pages of contents spread throughout the entertainment spectrum. You have likely found one of their wikis via Google search more than once. The new acquisitions will add 46 million monthly users thanks to widely recognized brands in gaming, movie and TV related content. The deal with Red Ventures, who own and will continue to operate other popular websites like CNET and Lonely Planet, will let Fandom expand its global platform for entertainment and gaming fans – and of course for advertising partners as well. The acquisition announcement spells how Fandom wants to “drive engagement across every step of the consumer journey – reference, community, trends, ratings, reviews, news and commerce.”
Fandom offers advertising partners (including game publishers, studios and streaming services) programs to share data and insights using the FanDNA proprietary platform, while the company is trying to expand efforts in the affiliate and ecommerce business through the Fanatical brand. Financial details of acquisition were not officially disclosed, though Forbes writes of a possible $55 million deal. Commenting on the acquisition, Fandom CEO Perkins Miller said that the new additions will make the Fandom platform a “one-stop shop” for entertainment and gaming fans, while the improved FanDNA data offering, Miller suggests, will help companies enhance the aforementioned consumer experience and “make our commerce and advertising businesses more impactful.” Fandom had also acquired Screen Junkies in 2018 (for entertainment coverage), Curse Media in 2019 (gaming tools) and the Fanatical gaming e-retailer in 2021.
