Internet Brands Acquires High Gear Media

LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwired - Sep 3, 2014) - Internet Brands announced today that it has acquired High Gear Media, a next-generation publisher of automotive news, information, and tools for in-market car buyers.

Founded in 2007, High Gear Media has grown to operate some of the fastest-growing online automotive brands, including The Car Connection (www.thecarconnection.com), Motor Authority (www.motorauthority.com), and Green Car Reports (www.greencarreports.com). High Gear Media websites feature reviews and content written by some of the industry's best automotive journalists that help car-seeking consumers make informed buying decisions. New and used car listings from auto dealers also appear on select High Gear Media websites.

High Gear Media will join Internet Brands' automotive category, which includes pioneering car-buying website CarsDirect.com; a collection of more than 130 auto enthusiast websites collectively known as the Internet Brands Automotive Group; and Autodata Solutions, a provider of content and technology solutions for automotive OEMs.

The combined Internet Brands automotive/High Gear Media audience will number more than 35 million unique monthly visitors, making it one of the largest automotive networks on the Internet. The network will provide automotive OEMs and dealers with even more organic new and used car sales opportunities. Robust advertising options including display ads and new/used car leads will allow advertisers to precisely target their desired market segments.

"High Gear Media's vertical automotive focus and commitment to producing high quality content for in-market consumers complements and enhances our portfolio of leading online automotive brands," said Bob Brisco, CEO of Internet Brands. "Consumers will continue to benefit from top-tier automotive content and buying advice, while auto OEMs and dealers will have access to exciting new advertising opportunities at unprecedented scale."

"High Gear Media's mission is to create content and tools that make the car research process easier," said Matt Heist, CEO of High Gear Media. "Internet Brands, with their automotive brands, data products and dealer relationships, is the ideal partner for us to add even more value to users, car makers and dealers."

High Gear Media will continue to operate from its headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif.

About Internet Brands
Headquartered in El Segundo, Calif., Internet Brands® is a fully integrated online media and software services organization focused on four high-value vertical categories: Automotive, Health, Legal and Home/Travel. The company's award-winning consumer websites lead their categories and serve more than 100 million monthly visitors, while a full range of web presence offerings has established deep, long-term relationships with SMB and enterprise clients. Internet Brands' powerful, propriety operating platform provides the flexibility and scalability to fuel the company's continued growth. For more information, please visit www.internetbrands.com.

About High Gear Media
High Gear Media is a next-generation automotive publisher that connects car-seeking audiences with content and tools to help them make better decisions -- on desktop and mobile devices. High Gear Media's owned and operated automotive destinations have over 7 million visitors monthly and include TheCarConnection.com, the car review site that makes car research easier, its luxury and performance site, MotorAuthority.com, and the leading green car site, GreenCarReports.com. High Gear Media's editorial staff and contributors have written at publications such as Car and Driver, AOL Autos, AutoWeek, Automobile Magazine, and Wired. For more information, please visit www.highgearmedia.com.