National Enquirer to be sold to group including indicted former MoviePass exec

February 7, 2023

The National Enquirer—the scandal-plagued supermarket tabloid that facilitated a hush-money scheme involving former President Trump—is being sold to a joint venture run by two digital-media companies, reports The Wall Street Journal.

VVIP Ventures, owned by Vinco Ventures and Icon Publishing, has agreed to purchase both the U.K. and U.S. version of the supermarket tabloid from magazine publisher a360 Media, the companies said on Monday, January 6. The purchase also includes the National Examiner and the Globe.

Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

Icon Publishing was founded by Ted Farnsworth, who led the parent company of MoviePass and has been charged in a securities fraud case. Farnsworth has said he would contest the charges.

The editorial teams of a360 Media that produced content for the National Enquirer, National Examiner, and Globe also will be joining VVIP Ventures, the companies said. In addition, VVIP Ventures is considering future collaborations with a360 Media, the companies said.

“Our digital ecosystem will be critical in heightening the reputation and recognizability of the National Enquirer, National Examiner and Globe to a broader audience and the editorial team joining us from these publications will play an important role in these efforts,” Rod Vanderbilt, executive chairman of Vinco, said.

Research contact: @WSJ