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Athletic, Axios talking merger?

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by FileNotFound, Mar 26, 2021.

Page 2 of 37
  1. Sam Mills 51

    Sam Mills 51 Well-Known Member

    I hope you're correct, but pardon me if I don't share your optimism. That last sentence of your post is Famous Last Words in this industry.
     
    Sam Mills 51, Mar 26, 2021
    #13
  2. matt_garth

    matt_garth Well-Known Member

    This will not end well.
     
    matt_garth, Mar 26, 2021
    #14
  3. Vombatus

    Vombatus Well-Known Member

    AthlAxiotic

    The next GameStop?
     
    Vombatus, Mar 26, 2021
    #15
  4. sgreenwell

    sgreenwell Well-Known Member

    Can you point out an example where one newspaper or media company bought or merged with another, and five years later, things were better for readers and employees?
     
    sgreenwell, Mar 27, 2021
    #16
    Adam94 likes this.
  5. ChadFelter

    ChadFelter Active Member

    Entercom-CBS, AT&T-Time Warner, etc., added value for consumers. We’re some jobs cut in those mergers? I’m sure, but getting rid of redundancies and trimming the fat is just good business.

    If you pay for The Athletic, you’ll get access to Axios too. And vice versa. How awful!
     
    ChadFelter, Mar 27, 2021
    #17
  6. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    You are comparing mergers of large, well established companies that were already public companies. ... to two small VC-funded start ups, at least one of which isn't profitable, that are talking about using a blank check company that would combine the two into one entity, as the way to bring them public.

    This is a much different situation.

    This isn't a merger in the traditional sense. The Athletic wouldn't have approached Axios for the reasons that Entercom would have approached a direct competitor in CBS Radio to talk merger. The Athletic and Axios are both going to be in need of capital, and the merger would be a way to maximize how much they can bring in. Beyond that, there is a good chance that neither has any interest in disrupting the businesses they were already trying to grow and intend to operate them separately. I can't say that for sure, but the one thing I am sure about is that two relatively small start ups that are tangentially in the same business and are looking to cash in on the SPAC craze in 2021 are not analogous to the kinds of mergers you are talking about from 5 or 6 years ago.

    I wouldn't call it "no big deal." How big a deal it is remains to be seen. It could be a very big deal if they manage to go public as a SPAC and the valuation the thing gets is so ridiculous that it ends up putting pressure on them to aggressively cut costs when the bubble they are looking to take advantage of deflates and the owners they will then have to answer to are banging on the door.
     
    Last edited: Mar 27, 2021
    The Big Ragu, Mar 27, 2021
    #18
    MeanGreenATO likes this.
  7. ChadFelter

    ChadFelter Active Member

    Just to be clear, I’m not saying it will or won’t be a big deal (if it even happens). I can’t see the future. I’m just saying that the headline sounds like some big merger while the actual text of the story makes it sound like two distinct organizations under the same umbrella. Sounds more like a bundling than a merger. I’m sure we’ll see more and more bundling across all mediums this decade.
     
    ChadFelter, Mar 27, 2021
    #19
  8. LanceyHoward

    LanceyHoward Well-Known Member

    How did either the Entercom-CBS merger or the Time Warner-AT@T merger impact the consumer, either positively of negatively?

    Telephone service and filmed entertainment are dissimilar enough that I think the consumer was unaffected. The Entercom radio stations i listened to sounded the same and CBS continued to show the same shows.
     
    LanceyHoward, Mar 27, 2021
    #20
  9. ChadFelter

    ChadFelter Active Member

    Way more options on Radio.com app post merger
     
    ChadFelter, Mar 27, 2021
    #21
  10. MeanGreenATO

    MeanGreenATO Well-Known Member

    Poked back in here and I, for one, am shocked Chad is stanning for The Athletic.

    Every sports writer wants The Athletic to succeed. A viable business model is good for all of us. But enough folks have been around long enough to know when something doesn't smell right.
     
    MeanGreenATO, Mar 27, 2021
    #22
    jykoy219, HanSenSE, Regan MacNeil and 1 other person like this.
  11. ChadFelter

    ChadFelter Active Member

    Lol, "poked back in here." As if you're not here lurking 24/7 waiting for a chance to humblebrag about having a pro beat or put down anyone who has more Twitter followers than you. Keep on writing columns that get 250 views, old man.
     
    ChadFelter, Mar 28, 2021
    #23
  12. Regan MacNeil

    Regan MacNeil Well-Known Member

    Gone full heel, huh? It was only a matter of time.
     
    Regan MacNeil, Mar 28, 2021
    #24
    PaperClip529 likes this.
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