Will James Murdoch of the Fox family complete a deal to acquire Vox Media assets before May 31?
54% of users predicted NO — the community missed this one. 39 predictions cast.
James Murdoch's investment firm, Lupa Systems, agreed to acquire a package of Vox Media assets for more than $300 million, closing before the May 31 deadline. The transaction, announced around May 20, included New York magazine, the Vox.com website, and Vox Media's podcast network. Properties including The Verge, Eater, SB Nation, and The Dodo were excluded from the sale. Vox Media CEO Jim Bankoff was set to join Lupa and oversee the acquired assets.
The deal came as digital media continued consolidating under financial pressure. New York magazine had recently won the National Magazine Award for general excellence from the American Society of Magazine Editors, providing a timely marker of the brand's editorial standing. Vox Media said at announcement that the transaction was expected to formally close within four to six weeks pending customary conditions, suggesting the agreement — if not full legal close — was in place by the question's deadline.
The community was nearly evenly split, with 46 percent voting YES, making this a close call that the YES side narrowly got right.