Penske Media Corporation Acquires Remaining Brands of Vox Media, Including The Verge

All PMC and Vox publishing brands will now operate under new PMC subsidary PMX, overseen by former Vox Media president Ryan Pauley.

Penske Media Corporation has acquired Vox Media, bringing together the groups’ digital media brands under a newly created publishing division called PMX.

The deal combines the PMC portfolio — which includes titles such as Variety, Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, Rolling Stone, Billboard, WWD, Robb Report, Sportico, SHE Media, and IndieWire — with Vox Media brands The Verge, Eater, SB Nation, Thrillist, POPSUGAR, The Dodo, and Punch, along with its advertising and data businesses and the Studio and Creative Services Businesses. 

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The acquisition marks another major consolidation move in digital publishing and further expands PMC’s reach across entertainment, technology, sports, food, fashion, beauty, and culture. According to the company, the combined portfolio will encompass more than 25 brands, reach hundreds of millions of consumers monthly, produce more than 300 live events annually, and operate a substantial advertising and data infrastructure through Vox’s Concert marketplace and Forte data platform.

The transaction comes amid years of restructuring across digital media. Vox Media previously sold New York Magazine, The Cut, Vulture, and the Vox Media podcast network to Lupa in 2025. With the PMC deal, much of what remained of Vox Media’s operating portfolio now moves under Penske ownership.

To oversee the combined publishing business, PMC has hired former Vox Media president Ryan Pauley as president of PMX. Pauley spent more than 15 years at Vox Media and played a key role in expanding the company’s subscription businesses, podcasting operations, live events, and advertising products.

“These distinct digital brands bring highly engaged audiences with them, complement our existing portfolio, strengthen our content offering, and expand the possibilities for the hundreds of live events PMX will produce each year,” PMC President Craig Perreault said in a statement.

PMC founder and CEO Jay Penske described the acquisition as a long-term investment in digital publishing and brand-driven media businesses.

The creation of PMX reflects a broader strategy that increasingly emphasizes scale, live experiences, first-party audience relationships, and diversified revenue streams beyond traditional advertising. The combined company will span sectors ranging from entertainment and music to technology, sports, luxury, food, beauty, and art.

In addition to Pauley’s appointment, PMC executive Tom Finn will become chief operating officer of PMX while retaining his existing responsibilities, and longtime PMC finance executive Ken Delalcazar will assume the role of chief financial officer for the new division.

The acquisition strengthens PMC’s position as one of the dominant consolidators in modern media. Over the past decade, the company has assembled a portfolio that includes not only major publishing brands but also entertainment properties and live-event businesses such as the Golden Globe Awards, SXSW, the American Music Awards, and the Academy of Country Music Awards.

With the addition of Vox Media’s brands and technology assets, PMC is positioning PMX as what it calls “the largest publisher in digital media,” betting that scale, audience data, premium events, and strong category-specific brands can provide a sustainable path forward for digital publishing at a time when many media companies continue to grapple with declining referral traffic and growing competition from AI-powered discovery platforms.

LionTree acted as financial advisor to Vox Media, and Clifford Chance US as legal advisor, in connection with the transaction.