History
Webedia was created in France in 2007, [2] following the successive launches of the websites Purepeople, Puretrend and Purefans. Webedia bought the comparison shopping website Shopoon in 2008 [3] and renamed it Pureshopping, and the website Ozap (media news) from M6 group in 2011 [4] and renamed it Puremédias. Webedia was acquired by Fimalac in May 2013 [5] and became its Internet media subsidiary.
In 2013, Fimalac acquired AlloCiné, [6] the websites Newsring and Youmag, [7] the cooking website 750g [8] and the cultural platform Exponaute. [9] In 2014, Webedia acquired OverBlog, [10] Jeuxvideo.com (through L'Odyssée Interactive [11] and moved to Paris in 2015 [12] [13] ), Moviepilot (Germany), [14] [15] and Gameo Consulting (owner of Millenium, electronic sports), [16] In December 2014, Webedia announced a license agreement with Ziff Davis to launch sites under the IGN franchise in Brazil and France at the beginning of 2015. [17] The French version of IGN was launched on 2, it targets the general public and casual gamers. [18] In 2015, Webedia acquired Côté Ciné Group (technological solutions for movie theaters and specialized press magazines: BoxOffice Pro in the United States and Côté Ciné in France), [19] 57% of Easyvoyage group (online travel comparators Easyvol and Alibabuy, [20] Mixicom (website JeuxActu and multi-channel network), [21] 50% of the Brazilian network Paramaker, [21] and West World Media (digital marketing company for the film industry). [22] In 2016, Webedia bought Scimob (mobile video game studio), [23] Surprizemi (home-delivered surprise boxes), [24] Eklablog (blogging platform) [25] Oxent (eSports World Convention), and Bang Bang Management (sports PR agency). [26] In addition, an agreement is made with Paris Saint-Germain for Webedia to recruit and manage e-sports players on behalf of Paris Saint-Germain eSports. [27]
On November 15, 2016, the LFP announced that it had reached an agreement with beIN Sports and Webedia for the broadcasting of the first edition of the e-League 1. [28] The competition is renewed for two additional seasons on July 26, 2017, the broadcasting agreements are renewed. [29] On December 8, 2016, Webedia joined forces with Chronopost to launch Pourdebon, a home delivery service that connects Internet users and labeled producers (AOC, organic AB, etc.). Webedia has a slight majority (53%) in this new platform. [30]
On January 19, 2017, Webedia announced the acquisition of the English company Peach Digital, specializing in web development and digital marketing for movie theaters. [31] In February 2017, Le Figaro announced that Webedia had invested 10 million euros in Illico Fresco, a home delivery service for baskets of recipes. [32] The same month, FDJ and Webedia announced a partnership for the creation of eSports competitions: a professional one (FDJ Masters League) and another one for amateur gamers (FDJ Open Series) starting in March 2017. They are broadcast on Webedia's Web TV. [33] At the end of February 2017, the media group finalized the acquisition of MyPoseo, a SaaS publisher specialized on SEO analytics. [34] On March 8, 2017, Webedia launched LeStream, a Twitch Web TV dedicated to video games, the result of two years of development, in the company of several YouTubers including Cyprien and Squeezie,. [35] [36]
On March 29, 2017, Webedia bought the Brazilian web publisher Minha Vida, a website devoted to health, nutrition, beauty and fitness, which attracts 14.3 million unique monthly visitors. [37] [38] Webedia reaches 44 million unique visitors in Brazil, and thus becomes the leading publisher on entertainment themes. [39]
In June 2017, the company made its largest international acquisition, with the American agency 3BlackDot, specializing in talent management for video games. The agency, based in Los Angeles, manages 36 YouTubers followed by millions of subscribers on their channels which total 700 million videos viewed per month. [40] In July 2017, Webedia bought IDZ, an audiovisual production company, and thus strengthened its production activities and its leadership on the YouTube channel networks in France. [41]
That year, Webedia was the first French media group to use the measurement of their global audiences by Comscore. It represents deduplicated coverage on desktops, laptops, smartphones and tablets, and includes audiences for websites, mobile applications and videos. This new measure allows Webedia to establish a deduplicated global audience of 177 million unique visitors in April 2017. [42]
In October 2017, Webedia announced its intention to launch a TV channel dedicated to electronic sports, called ES1. The channel was officially launched on January 10, 2018, on Orange TV [43] and on February 6, 2018, on Free and Bouygues Telecom. [44]
In November 2017, Webedia, with the support of CDC International Capital, entered into exclusive negotiations with the Saudi company Uturn Entertainment, specializing in online entertainment, particularly on YouTube, and the production of digital content for the region's youth, with a view to merging it with Diwanee, a Webedia subsidiary in the Middle East, for an amount close to $100 million. [45]
In December 2017, Webedia acquired a majority stake in the United States –based company called Creators Media, which brings together social and video production platforms specializing in popular culture and entertainment. [46] That same month, Webedia joined forces with Elephant, Emmanuel Chain's audiovisual production company, to create a new content production label aimed at Millennials. [47]
In January 2018, Webedia launched a sports marketing agency: Only Sports & Passions. [48] That same month, Illico Fresco, specialist in the delivery of kit meals belonging to Webedia, joined forces with Weight Watchers, the world leader in slimming products. [49]
In April 2018, Webedia published new audience figures in partnership with Comscore, 188 million unique monthly visitors in December 2017, an increase of 6.2% compared to the previous measure dating from April 2017. [50]
The same month, Webedia unveils its ambitions concerning content production, as a partnership with the video game studio Focus Home Interactive is signed with a title "Fear the Wolves" already planned for 2018, co-production projects of films, cartoons or series are announced. [51]
In July 2018, Webedia bought the American authors company Full Fathom Five, a company that helps authors produce books, TV series, films and video games. [52]
In October 2018, Webedia announced that it was focusing on both esports clubs PSG Esports and LeStream Esport. The first one being geared towards international competitions and the second devoted mainly to the French esports scene. The "Millenium" brand is thus refocusing around its media activities and esports merchandising products, and the "Millenium esport club" being gradually closed. [53] The same month, the company announced the acquisition of Weblogs, a Spanish-speaking website publisher, thereby strengthening its activity in Spain and Latin America. [54]
On October 22, 2018, Webedia announced the merger of BoxOffice magazine with Film Journal International. [55]
On November 13, 2018, Groupe SEB announced the acquisition from Webedia of 750g International, the international branch of the French recipe site 750g (the original French website 750g.com being retained by Webedia). The group is thus separating from Gourmandize (United States and United Kingdom), HeimGourmet (Germany), Rebañando (Spain), Receitas Sem Fronteiras (Brazil / Portugal) and Tribù Golosa (Italy). [56]
The same month, Webedia joined forces with Riot Games to launch the French League of League of Legends (LFL), the first French professional league on the League of Legends game, which will bring together the 8 best teams on the French scene. [57]
In March 2019, Webedia bought 51% of the audiovisual production company Elephant. The desire of the two groups is to create content – series, documentaries, magazines – for paid streaming platforms, television and social networks. Despite this takeover, Elephant's editorial independence is guaranteed. The new set will weigh 500 million euros, a quarter of which will be made outside France. [58]
The same month, Webedia takes a majority stake in the company Partoo, which publishes a SaaS platform specializing in local marketing for brands and merchants (referencing of points of sale, their opening hours and pictures on all social networks, management of customers ratings and comments...). [59]
On March 14, 2019, a new measurement of the international audience of Webedia sites was produced by Comscore, posting 250 million unique visitors in December 2018, up 9.2% compared to December 2017. [60]
In June 2019, the group joined forces with Michel Cymes, a famous doctor and French TV host by taking a majority stake in his company Club Santé Débat, in order to develop a health platform around the Dr. Good! Brand. [61]
In September 2019, Webedia regrouped its cinematographic activities (AlloCiné, Côté Ciné Group, WestWorldMedia, Peach Digital) under the brand The Boxoffice Company for marketing, database and business intelligence services for film professionals. [62]
In November 2019, the French YouTuber Michou joined the network of talents and influencers managed by Webedia. [63]
On November 14, 2019, the movie Queen and Slim starring Daniel Kaluuya and Jodie Turner-Smith, co-produced by Webedia through its subsidiary 3BlackDot and distributed by Universal Pictures, was released in the United States. It grossed a total $47 million revenue worldwide. [64]
In December 2019, Webedia announced the distribution of its ES1 channel dedicated to esport in Quebec in partnership with Thema (Canal+ group), then in January 2020 the distribution in France of the ES1 channel within the Canal+ offers.
On April 20, 2020, Webedia published a new measurement of the international audiences of its sites with Comscore, with 276 million unique monthly visitors measured in December 2019, an increase of 10.4% over one year. [65]
In July 2020, Webedia announced that its ES1 TV channel brought together more than 1.3 million viewers in France. [66] On July 28, 2020, the French League of League of Legends (LFL) produced by Webedia resumes service in a format adapted to the health crisis, with a final happening in Monaco on October 26, 2020. [67]
In September 2020, the international tennis player Gael Monfils and Paralympic swimmer Théo Curin join the portfolio of esports and sports talents managed by Webedia for their digital communication. [68]
In October 2020, the 750g [69] and Millenium [70] sites announced an overhaul of their positioning and graphic identities. Millenium becomes MGG and develops in 5 international versions. [70]
On October 4, 2020, Webedia and Banijay Iberia launched "Top Gamers Academy" in Spain, the first TV reality show in the world of video games. This program, which brings together the greatest Spanish YouTubers (El Rubius, The Grefg ...) is broadcast on the Spanish channel Neox and on social and video networks, in particular on Twitch and YouTube. [71]
On November 16, 2020, Webedia joined forces with Jamy Gourmaud to create a new editorial brand around knowledge, called Epicurieux. The brand is available on social and video networks (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat) and contributes to a television program broadcast on France 5, produced by Elephant (Webedia group) and presented by Jamy Gourmaud, "C Jamy". [72] [73]
In December 2020, ES1 announces its arrival in France on Amazon's Prime Video service. [74]
On January 19, 2021, the French League of League of Legends (LFL) produced by Webedia resumed for a third season. [75]
In March 2021, Webedia brought together all of its new talent management labels under the Webedia Creators umbrella, and announcedthe arrival of the Tiktokers group "La French House" among its creators, as well as the company Smile Conseil (notably representing the influencer Just Riadh). [76]
In May 2021, Webedia reinvested 15 million euros in its subsidiary Partoo, of which the group is the majority shareholder, in order to enable it to achieve a new stage in its international development. [77]
