The man on a mission to save the internet October 28, 2025 Search engines and publishers used to operate on a simple deal: publishers would let the likes of Google trawl their site, and in return Google would give them traffic. With the advent of AI, that deal is all but dead, leaving the internet’s old model under existential threat. Ali Lyon meets Matthew Prince, the man [...]
In focus: Getty and Shutterstock merger gets CMA probe October 20, 2025 The $3.7bn (£2.7bn) merger between Getty Images and Shutterstock is to be the subject of an in-depth probe from the UK’s competition watchdog after ‘substantial concerns’ were flagged. The deal, which was first announced in January, had already attracted the eye of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in June but will now be looked into [...]
Sky back in profit ahead of cutting 900 UK jobs October 2, 2025 Media and telecoms giant Sky recovered from losing almost £800m to return to the black in 2024 before preparing to cut hundreds of jobs. Sky, which was bought by the US media company Comcast for £30bn in 2018, has posted a pre-tax profit of £253m for its latest financial year. The total comes after Sky fell [...]
LadBible founder rakes in over £40m as shares rise September 29, 2025 The chief executive and co-founder of LadBible has raked in more than £40m through his investment vehicle which is a major shareholder in the online publisher. Alexander “Solly” Solomou set up the Manchester-based company in 2012 alongside Arian Kalantari. The group floated on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM at the end of 2021 while its [...]
Heseltine-founded media giant snaps up trio of marketing titles September 25, 2025 A magazine group founded by Michael Hesteltine has snapped up a trio of marketing titles from Aim-listed Centaur Media, bolstering its portfolio of advertising and communications outlets. Haymarket, which owns over 70 specialist magazines including the likes of Autocar, Campaign and Management Today, revealed it had acquired Marketing Week, Creative Review and Festival of Marketing [...]
Podcast giant Acast’s UK losses slashed in half September 22, 2025 The UK arm of podcast giant Acast slashed its losses in half during its latest financial year, it has been revealed. The division is behind the likes of That Peter Crouch Podcast, Shagged Married Annoyed with Chris and Rosie Ramsey and Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster. New accounts filed with Companies House [...]
FCA hires influencers to raise awareness of motor finance compensation scheme September 12, 2025 In its attempt to stop people using claims management companies or law firms to access the motor finance compensation scheme, the City watchdog has kicked off a £1m media campaign. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is launching a £1m campaign to inform people that they don’t need to use a CMC or law firm to [...]
‘I’ve had too many lunches to remember the best’: Morning Wire co-founder Lawson Muncaster on 20 years in the Square Mile September 4, 2025 To mark 20 years of Morning Wire, we spoke to the man who’s been there from the start, our managing director and co-founder Lawson Muncaster.
From fake AI journalism to very real lives: An anatomy of a scoop September 2, 2025 Last week I wrote a wild story that began with an AI-generated pitch about warring London chicken shops and ended with a video call to Nairobi with the man who had willed it into existence. Wilson Kaharua – working under the alias Joseph Wales – was not a criminal mastermind but a small-time SEO writer [...]
Social Chain: Steven Bartlett’s first company returns to the black September 1, 2025 Social Chain, the media agency which was co-founded by Dragons’ Den star Steven Bartlett, has made its first profit since 2021, it has been revealed. The business, which was also set up by Dominic McGregor, has posted a pre-tax profit of £645,667 for 2024. New accounts filed with Companies House show that Social Chain’s return [...]