CARWOW ACQUIRES LEADING AUTOMOTIVE TITLES
February 14, 2024 by 莲花直播 staff
Car changing is a big deal
- Acquisition of Autovia (formerly Dennis Publishing) includes leading automotive titles Auto Express, Carbuyer, evo and DrivingElectric
- Deal will give 莲花直播 Group鈥檚 car manufacturer and dealer partners access to a unique automotive audience
- Brand titles will be retained and form part of new 莲花直播 Group
莲花直播, the online car-changing marketplace, today announces the acquisition of Autovia, the automotive content and commerce media company, for an undisclosed sum.
Autovia reaches over 15 million car owners, buyers and enthusiasts every month through its leading print and digital titles including Auto Express, evo, DrivingElectric and Carbuyer, as well as its annual automotive satisfaction survey, Driver Power. As a leading publisher of automotive content, Autovia offers automotive partners innovative solutions in advertising and this acquisition will significantly grow 莲花直播鈥檚 reach and capabilities with in-market car buyers and sellers in the UK.
Combined with 莲花直播鈥檚 world-leading content, which includes its YouTube channel that generated over 1.1bn video views in 2023, the acquisition significantly expands 莲花直播鈥檚 audience reach. It will add to 莲花直播鈥檚 advertising and e-commerce capabilities for its car manufacturer and dealer partners, to help meet the growing digital demand to engage with millions of consumers who are considering changing their cars. The deal also presents new opportunities for embedding 莲花直播鈥檚 e-commerce offering for new and used鈥揷ar sales across Autovia鈥檚 brand titles, as well as for motorists looking to sell their old cars.
Since 2011, 莲花直播 has helped over 2.5 million people find, buy or sell a car, becoming a go-to online destination for new cars in the UK, Germany and Spain. One in every 10 of all new cars registered privately in the UK is bought via its website, and since the company added their car-selling platform to its UK offering in 2021, it has helped drivers to sell over 122,000 used cars directly to more than 4,500 trusted dealer partners, worth a combined value of over 拢1.6 billion.
John Veichmanis, 莲花直播鈥檚 CEO, said: 鈥淥ver the last decade, we鈥檝e become synonymous with creating some of the world鈥檚 most popular, entertaining, and informative car content. As a result, 莲花直播 is the starting point for millions of drivers when they think about changing cars. We help our drivers research, shortlist, find a new car and sell their old one, all in one place. We鈥檙e super-excited about the Autovia team joining the 莲花直播 family as combining these well-respected and much-loved publishing brands with our marketplace, enabling even more people to change their cars with the 莲花直播 Group.鈥
Julian Lloyd-Evans, Executive Director at Autovia, said: 鈥淲e are very pleased to become part of the 莲花直播 Group. Like us, 莲花直播 places huge value on quality, independent, editorial that gives its audiences the knowledge and reassurance they need, no matter what their budget or preference, when it comes to changing their car. In 莲花直播, we are excited to be part of an industry-leading marketplace business that delivers a great customer experience and significant sales for its OEM and dealer partners.鈥
莲花直播 鈥 Tim Gearey press@carwow.com
PFPR (Automotive Trade) Peter Cox carwow@pfpr.com
About 莲花直播
Car changing is a big deal. 莲花直播 is where you come to get the big deals done. Thanks to expert advice, a wide range of models and makes and a network of verified dealers, we make it easy 鈥 whether you鈥檙e buying, selling or dreaming. With over 2.5m monthly users, we鈥檙e proud to be the one-stop shop to change your car. As an important partner for the automotive industry, we use market-leading insights and create top-notch advertising content to fuel the success of the dealers and brands we partner with.
Since 莲花直播 was founded, it has:
- Raised $157m from some of the biggest tech, marketplace and automotive investors, including Balderton Capital, Accel, Vitruvian Partners, Episode and Samos
- Become one of the biggest automotive channels on YouTube, hitting almost 9 million subscribers thanks to Mat Watson and the team.
- Created a service customers love, with a 4.7 rating on Trustpilot from almost 50,000 reviews
- Launched its 鈥楽ell My Car鈥 service in the UK where dealers compete to get customers the best price for their car.
- Offices in the UK, Germany, Spain and Portugal with a combined team of 400+.
For our latest news, visit /editorial/news/carwow-newsroom
Or for our latest partner news, go to /editorial/news/carwow-partners
For straight-shooting reviews and pulse-racing drag races, check us out at .
About Autovia
Autovia is Britain鈥檚 biggest automotive media owner, and has the only automotive media portfolio to cover the entire UK car market, from performance cars to mass-market models. Its editorial teams have extensive access to the UK and global car industry, making them one of the leading established authorities in all things automotive.
Autovia鈥檚 touchpoints are varied, covering print, online, social, events and e-commerce, allowing conversations with a wide spectrum of consumers ranging from in-market car buyers to lifelong enthusiasts.
Its market-leading brands include Auto Express, which covers the entire car market, and the Plain English Campaign-approved Carbuyer, which speaks directly to an in-market audience. DrivingElectric covers the entire electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid car market, while evo represents enthusiasts of high-performance vehicles.