(Reuters) -British media group The Independent is in talks to take control of BuzzFeed and Huffington Post’s operations in the UK and Ireland, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.
The Independent will assume all editorial and commercial control of BuzzFeed in the UK under a licensing deal for its various brands, the FT said, citing people familiar with the talks.
Buzzfeed and The Independent did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
BuzzFeed said last year that it would shutter its news division, which had gained renown for its irreverent and probing coverage, and focus on the quirky lists and cooking videos that are its bread and butter.
The company, which produces news, videos and online quizzes, was founded by Jonah Peretti and John Johnson in 2006, and went public in 2021 through a blank-check merger.
Shares of BuzzFeed soared about 70% to 29 cents. They have lost 93% of their value since the debut.
(Reporting by Jaspreet Singh, Akash Sriram and Samrhitha Arunasalam in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D’Silva)
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