Fox Entertainment Acquires TMZ TMZ was previously owned by WarnerMedia, but WarnerMedia parent company AT&T has been selling assets this year.
By Entrepreneur Staff Edited by Emily Rella
Celebrity and entertainment news source TMZ has been acquired by Fox Entertainment, the companies said Monday.
TMZ was previously owned by WarnerMedia, but WarnerMedia parent company AT&T has been selling assets this year.
WarnerMedia is also spinning off to combine with Discovery in a deal that is expected to close last year. Last year, AT&T agreed to sell Crunchyroll Inc. The anime business will now fall under Sony's Funimation Global Group LLC.
Fox will own and operate all of the TMZ-branded properties, like syndicated TV shows "TMZ" and "TMZ Live," which air on Fox Television Stations affiliated networks.
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TMZ Sports and "TMZ Sports" will also be part of the deal, as will sites like TooFab.com and TMZ.com. TMZ also operates celebrity tours in Los Angeles and New York. They will fall under Fox as well.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed but TMZ founder and managing editor Harvey Levin will remain with the company to oversee day-to-day operations. He will now report to Fox Entertainment's president of Alternative Entertainment and Specials, Rob Wade.
TMZ is best known for its direct approach to celebrity news. Paparazzi or journalists frequently ask celebrities questions in the street, outside of airports or on their way to or from a location. The media empire is also especially adept at announcing celebrity deaths ahead of competitors.
