Townsquare Media Acquires The Boot

AOL began shutting down its AOL Music properties on April 26, but now AOL has sold hip-hop site The BoomBox, country site The Boot and metal site Noisecreep (plus Comics Alliance) to Townsquare Media Group, a Connecticut-based radio station owner.

The sites will come full circle under this deal, as it puts the properties under the ownership of Townsquare Media’s executive vice president Bill Wilson, who was formerly president of AOL Media in 2008-2009 when all four sites were created. Townsquare Media has hired some former AOL staffers and has plans for others to come aboard.

“The acquisition of these assets from AOL represents the continued rapid growth of Townsquare Media’s portfolio of owned and operated music and entertainment websites,” commented Townsquare Media Group Chairman and CEO, Steven Price. “Adding these premium brands to Townsquare Media’s comprehensive offering propels our scale beyond today’s 52 million US monthly unique visitors, allowing advertisers and agencies even greater access to this highly engaged and demographically desirable audience.”

Townsquare Media operates more than 240 stations, and runs another 250 associated websites, along with other sites like Taste of Country, Loudwire and ScreenCrush.

In related news, Beville Darden Dunkerley, co-founder of The Boot, recently signed on as a contributor for Rolling Stone.