Tumblr got a new owner yesterday. 👀
Verizon, which bought Tumblr two years ago when it acquired Yahoo, is selling the social network to Automattic, aka the company behind Wordpress. While the size of the deal hasn’t been disclosed, Automattic reportedly paid under $20M for the microblogging site (Yahoo bought Tumblr for $1.1B in 2013). As part of this deal, Automattic will also be taking on Tumblr’s 200 employees. It's worth noting that David Karp, Tumblr's founder, left the company in 2017.
In addition to Wordpress, Automattic already owns a suite of publishing tools like Jetpack and Simplenote, making Tumblr an appropriate addition to its umbrella.
Tumblr is an iconic product of the internet, originally known its young, active user base that shared pictures, videos and text before Instagram, Twitter and Reddit became mainstream. And over the years, we saw some big launches from Tumblr. There was Tumblr GIF Maker for making GIFs, and then there was Tumblr TV for finding trending GIFs. There was also Tumblr’s answer to Periscope, Facebook Live and Twitch: Live Video on Tumblr.
In late 2018, Tumblr took a hit when Verizon decided to ban adult content on the platform. This led to a mass boycott, as Tumblr acted as a safe space for many LGBTQ members to express themselves online.
Product News 😻
Snap just released the latest Spectacles. Nike launched a subscription service for kids. This new platform lets social media stars monetize their work.
Call for Stories! 🚨
Do you know someone who has a crazy, interesting or meaningful story to tell? Nominate them for a Maker Story here.