Get ready for Deadspin 3.0.
Two months after G/O Media sold the infamous sports and culture blog, its new owner, Lineup Publishing, is preparing to relaunch the site, according to Front Office Sports. At this point, there are very few details known about Deadspin’s latest iteration, including who will be writing for it (if anyone) after the new owners opted not to retain any of the previous staff.
Most of the questions regarding Deadspin’s future continue to center on its new ownership, with little known at this point about Lineup Publishing. Despite its name, the Malta-based company has no known history of publishing content — sports or otherwise — with Tedium’s Ernie Smith discovering that the company’s domain’s IP address was shared with one other website, a Finnish casino spam blog that contained “numerous references to Maltese-operated online casinos targeting the Finnish market.”
That sparked more digging into Lineup Publishing’s background, with freelance journalist Michael Gresko finding an XML file hosted on Lineup’s website that included the name “Max Noremo,” which happens to be the name of a person who has an extensive background in affiliate marketing and SEO for gambling sites. 404 Media’s Jason Koebler proceeded to confirm Noremo’s involvement, with the company releasing the following statement on its acquisition of Deadspin:
Lineup Publishing is delighted to announce the acquisition of the iconic online sports news and opinion website, Deadspin.com.
Since its inception in 2005, Deadspin has carved out a unique space in the sports journalism world, blending incisive commentary, investigative journalism, and a distinct voice that has engaged millions of readers.
As we look to the future, our focus remains on delivering content that matters, through a platform known for its boldness, integrity, and insight into the world of sports and beyond.
In order to best achieve this, we will be spending the next month moving to our own bespoke platform. All posts, images, and any other form of content will be retained.
We aim to be able to support delivery of this via partnerships within the sports betting industry. We believe that by doing this, we can deliver the top quality content people want to read, without impeding the quality and usability of the site.
The company also said of itself:
Lineup Publishing is a forward-thinking digital media company dedicated to creating, acquiring, and managing high-quality media brands across a variety of sectors. With a commitment to innovation, Lineup Publishing are looking to deliver engaging stories as well as data-driven insights to a global sports audience.
The two lead investors, Timothy Booker and Max Noremo come from a background of gaming and media.
In the time since the sale in March, Deadspin has been populated with content from the Field Level Media wire service, while no jobs have seemingly been listed for the site. Come next week, however, it appears we’ll find out where the latest version of Deadspin fits into its unique 19-year history.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.