Fandom, the Wiki hosting service formerly known as Wikia, has acquired Focus Multimedia Ltd., the retailer behind Fanatical, an e-commerce platform that sells digital games, ebooks and other products related to gamingfor an undisclosed sum.
UK-based firm Fanatical is a games-focused e-commerce platform that sells officially licensed game keys and digital bundles, with more than 8,000 games on offer, as well as ebooks and e-learning courses.San Francisco-based Fandom, which was originally known as Wikia, was acquired in 2018 by Integrated Media Co., an internet-media investment business backed by private-equity firm TPG and led by longtime digital media veteran and former News Corp executive Jon Miller. The deal at the time valued Fandom at more than $200 million, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Adding a commerce element through Fanatical lets Fandom sell games and related merchandise to users who have shown an interest in them, according to executives according to The Wall Street Journal.
“The idea is to close the loop from fan interest to a transaction,” Fandom CEO Miller, said.
“Even more interesting is bringing them back around again. Part of the value of Fandom is helping people love the things they love more. But once they buy that game…we can help them discover the next game and drive them down the funnel again to purchase,” added Fandom chief marketing officer Stephanie Fried.
Focus Multimedia is Fandom’s third acquisition since being bought by Integrated Media. The company is looking at more deals, particularly around creator-centric businesses in video and audio, Miller said.
