Headquartered in London, The Press Association is the UK's leading provider of multi-platform content solutions, amongst being the national news agency for the UK and Ireland. Over its 147-year heritage, The Press Association has continued to find innovative solutions, through both print and digital, to provide its users with fast, accurate and reliable news.
We ran a competitive search process, initially setting out key characteristics that would qualify a suitable "target".
Liaising closely with the CFO, Ed Ethelston, we assisted in finding a shortlist of companies in the content marketing space.
The search process identified Blackball Media Limited as the preferred target, a deal which provided all parties with the desired outcome.
Blackball Media Limited is a content marketing business, focussing on the automotive industry. The investment in Blackball Media Limited, publisher of the Car Dealer Magazine, will provide The Press Association Limited with the opportunity to further strengthen its presence in the automotive space, a fast-growing niche.
We provided Lead Advisory advice, ensuring a seamless and joined-up process for The Press Association Limited.
Vasu Majumdar, Corporate Finance Associate Director, who led the deal, commented: “This transaction is a fantastic result for all involved. Going forward there is huge potential for the combined business to grow, with the support, experience and backing of The Press Association Limited."
"PA engaged Grant Thornton to search against a range of criteria and they distilled this to a shorter list of relevant businesses with the Blackball deal rapidly progressing from that point. The process was straight forward, and Grant Thornton were easy to deal with."
Ed Ethelston Finance Director, The Press Association Limited
