Selling a Digital Media Business

Most digital media businesses sell for a multiple of the seller’s annual profit, and that multiple moves based on two things buyers can verify fast: platform dependence and clean content rights. A newsletter with strong deliverability and direct sponsor renewals usually prices better than a site that relies on one search update. Use Rejigg’s free valuation calculator for a starting range, then adjust for revenue mix and how concentrated your traffic and partners are.

Newsletter deals usually come down to deliverability, steady engagement, and whether sponsor or subscription revenue repeats month after month. Content sites with SEO can be valuable, but buyers discount them when rankings depend on a handful of pages or when the last 6–12 months show update whiplash. The strongest sellers bring 12–24 months of trends and clear proof they can reach the audience through email and direct traffic.

Buyers focus on watch time trends, returning viewers, revenue stability, and policy history, including strikes and demonetizations. They also dig into creator dependence because the on-camera personality can be the business. A clean sale includes proof of channel ownership, clear AdSense setup, and a transfer plan that avoids security holds. Rejigg’s data room is a good place to store ownership documents and policy history so diligence stays orderly.

Affiliate-heavy sites get discounted when revenue leans on one merchant, one network, or a short seasonal window like holiday gift guides. Buyers pay more when traffic is evergreen, merchants are diversified, and rankings come from a real content library, not one or two money pages. For a quick range, start with the free valuation calculator, then adjust based on merchant concentration and how volatile your search traffic has been.

Sometimes. SBA loans are easier when revenue is easy to document, contracts transfer cleanly, and the business does not collapse if one person steps away. Digital media can qualify when your financials tie out, sponsor contracts and payout statements are organized, and the operation looks like a real company with workflows. You can model payments with the SBA loan calculator and use Rejigg’s data room to package lender-ready support.

Most media deals move through buyer calls, a signed intent-to-buy letter, and then diligence on traffic, rights, and monetization. Timelines stretch when revenue exports, rights paperwork, or account ownership are messy because buyers start asking for extra protections. If you already have a rights inventory, 24 months of channel mix, and clean revenue tie-outs, you can usually move faster because fewer questions stay unanswered.

No. Brokers charge 5–10% of the sale price for work you can do yourself with the right tools and process. Rejigg gives you vetted buyers, digital NDAs, direct messaging, a secure data room, and offer tracking so you can run a broker-free sale while keeping control of confidentiality and deal terms. Start with the prepare to sell guide.

A strong digital media data room includes monthly revenue by stream with exports to back it up, traffic by source for 12–24 months, and your key monetization contracts, like sponsor agreements and subscription processor statements. Include affiliate network statements, a sponsor roster with renewals, and a rights folder with contributor agreements plus music and stock licenses. Add platform policy history, like strikes, demonetizations, and payout holds. Rejigg includes a built-in secure data room so you can control access by buyer.

Earnouts tie part of the purchase price to future performance, and they show up in media when buyers are nervous about platform risk, creator dependence, or a few big sponsor renewals. They can work when the metric is simple and auditable, like collected cash from sponsor invoices or retained subscription revenue. They tend to get ugly when the buyer controls the inputs, like marketing spend or publishing volume. Rejigg’s negotiation guide covers how to define metrics and reporting.

Working capital is the money tied up in day-to-day timing, like sponsor invoices you have not collected yet and contractor bills you still owe. In digital media, it matters because sponsor payment terms and platform payout schedules can make a “good month” look cash-poor. Buyers may set a target working capital level so they are not paying last month’s freelancer costs on day one. This usually gets finalized during diligence with a close calendar.

Buyers look for repeat behavior: returning visitors, watch time, email engagement, and branded search trends. They also test concentration, like whether traffic depends on one page, one series, or one distribution partner. In real diligence calls, we see buyers calm down when the story matches across tools and exports, not when they get one perfect screenshot. Rejigg’s buyer vetting, NDA flow, and data room help you share analytics safely without oversharing.

One past issue is usually manageable if you can explain it cleanly and show it was resolved. Buyers care about patterns, and they want to know what changed after the event, like stricter music checks, a clearer review step, or different advertiser-sensitive guidelines. Bring dates, outcomes, and your updated process. If you have a backup distribution and revenue channel, like email or a second platform, document it so the buyer can see you are not one policy email away from zero.

A non-compete is an agreement that limits you from launching a competing brand for a set period after the sale. In creator-led media, buyers often ask for this because audiences follow people. Most of the time, the fair version is narrow: a defined niche, a reasonable duration, and clear carve-outs for personal posting that does not compete with the sold content categories. Keep it tied to how the business actually makes money.

Buyers want to understand whether they are buying content the company owns or content it licenses from talent. If you have revenue share deals, spell out what “revenue” means, how reporting works, and what happens if the relationship ends. Buyers also look for usage rights so they can keep monetizing the back catalog after close. Put the contracts and a one-page plain-English summary in a Rejigg data room so diligence does not drag.

Taxes depend on how the deal is structured and what you are selling, like the brand, the content library, or a subscriber list. Some structures push more of the sale into capital gains treatment, while others create ordinary income. Digital media can get tricky when value sits in intellectual property and contracts. This is worth planning early with a tax pro so you can negotiate with your after-tax outcome in mind. Rejigg’s checklist in due diligence and closing helps keep the process organized.

Confidentiality mostly comes down to process. Vet buyers, get NDAs signed before sharing sponsor rosters or detailed revenue, and share information in stages so casual shoppers do not see the sensitive stuff. Rejigg includes buyer vetting, digital NDAs, and a secure data room where you control access by folder and by buyer. That lets you explore a sale without spooking sponsors or starting rumors with your audience.

Many transitions are 30–90 days for operations. They can run longer when the business is creator-led or sponsor relationships sit with the founder. The transition plan should list what “support” includes, like sponsor introductions, training a new editor, handing over content calendars, and documenting workflows. If the founder is on-camera, buyers often ask for a specific content commitment for a defined period. You can map this out using the transitioning guide.

Compare offers based on cash you will actually collect, the risks you are taking, and how much control you keep, not the headline price. A lower offer with more cash at close can beat a higher offer tied to an earnout that depends on future traffic swings. Seller financing can work if the buyer is qualified and the repayment terms are clear. Rejigg’s deal tracking and offer comparison dashboard show price, earnout triggers, seller financing, and timelines side by side.