Verizon Sells Tumblr to WordPress's Parent Company

Verizon is selling off the blogging platform Tumblr to WordPress.com's parent company, Automattic.

As result, two of the biggest free blogging services on the internet will join forces. "We are excited to add it to our lineup," said Automattic's CEO Matt Mullenweg in a statement.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. But Verizon said it sold off the blogging platform at a time when the company is focusing on premium original content through its other properties, which include Yahoo, AOL, and HuffPost.

Verizon also said it was seeking the right buyer, and chose Automatic, believing the pairing could inject new energy into Tumblr. "We are proud of what the team has accomplished and are happy to have found the perfect partner in Automattic, whose expertise and track record will unlock new and exciting possibilities for Tumblr and its users," said Verizon Media's CEO Guru Gowrappan.

Verizon took over Tumblr back in 2017 as part of its acquisition of Yahoo. However, traffic to the blogging platform fell after it enacted a ban on adult content last December that forced porn enthusiasts and erotic artists off from the site. Rumors about a potential sale then began brewing in May when The Wall Street Journal reported Verizon was shopping Tumblr to potential buyers in order to stabilize its media business.

In a blog post on today's news, Tumblr's staff said: "We couldn't be more excited to be joining a team that has a similar mission."

"Automattic shares our vision to build passionate communities around shared interests and to democratize publishing so that anyone with a story can tell it, especially when they come from under-heard voices and marginalized communities," Tumblr's staff added. But according to The Wall Street Journal, the platform's ban on adult content will remain in place.

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In a post on Tumblr, Automattic's CEO said the deal should close within a few weeks. "Our teams are hard at work right now to make this transition smooth for everyone at Tumblr, and while we have many details to iron out, one thing we're absolutely committed to is to preserve the passion and sense of community that so many people around the world —and all over the web— have come to associate with Tumblr," he said.

In addition to WordPress, Automattic also owns e-commerce platform, WooCommerce, and note-taking application Simplenote.

Tumblr is banning adult content and the internet is sounding off