Carwow’s quest for domination continues as the company, which is best known for its YouTube channel, has bought Autovia.
While the name might not ring a bell, you’re likely familiar with Auto Express and evo. The company also owns Carbuyer and DrivingElectric, although those aren’t as widely known.
The terms of the sale weren’t released, but Carwow said Autovia reaches over 15 million people every month through its print and digital titles. That sounds surprisingly low, but the company said the “acquisition will significantly grow Carwow’s reach and capabilities with in-market car buyers and sellers in the UK.”
They doubled down on that by saying the move adds to “Carwow’s 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 Carwow’s e-commerce offering for new and used–car sales across Autovia’s brand titles, as well as for motorists looking to sell their old cars.”
So, in effect, it’s all about that sweet, sweet moolah. That’s not surprising as publications are businesses, but it’s alarming Carwow’s press release didn’t mention the content or people who transformed Auto Express and evo into respected publications.
More: Carwow Is Crowdfunding, Would You Pay $185k To Ride Shotgun In A YouTube Drag Race?
Carwow CEO John Veichmanis said, “We’re super-excited about the Autovia team joining the Carwow family as combining these well-respected and much-loved publishing brands with our marketplace, enabling even more people to change their cars with the Carwow Group.”
The company confirmed all of the brand titles will be retained, but there will undoubtedly be concerns about possible job cuts. That being said, Veichmanis told Car Dealer Magazine he plans to invest in the publications, although he “sidestepped a question about whether the acquisition could lead to redundancies.”