Group Nine Media, the digital media publisher that counts cable programmer Discovery Inc. as its largest shareholder, broadened its portfolio of online news and information sites by agreeing to acquire PopSugar, a digital publisher focused on women’s lifestyle and fashion.

Group Nine Media was created in 2016, after Discovery pumped about $100 million into the company for a 35% stake.  Last month Discovery and German publisher Axel Springer invested another $50 million into Group Nine, beefing up its valuation to more than $600 million.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed but reports said that PopSugar shareholders will receive a 30% interest in Group Nine as part of the all-stock deal which values PopSugar at about $300 million.

The Group Nine deal is the latest in a string of purchases in the digital media space over the past several weeks. Earlier this month Vice Media agreed to purchase Refinery29, a women’s lifestyle publisher, for an estimated $400 million in mostly stock and some cash. In late September Vox Media agreed to buy New York Media, publisher of New York magazine, for an estimated $105 million in stock. 

“PopSugar hugely expands our reach within an important demographic, bringing us a community that deeply loves the PopSugar brand and a company with the proven ability to diversify their revenue across premium advertising, affiliate, direct-to-consumer commerce, licensing, and experiential channels,” Group Nine CEO Ben Lerer said in a press release.

Lerer will remain CEO of the combined company while PopSugar CEO Brian Sugar and president Lisa Sugar will join the company’s executive team after the deal closes. Brian Sugar also will receive a seat on the Group Nine board of directors.

The addition of PopSugar will expand Group Nine’s portfolio, currently consisting of animal-focused website Dodo; news site NowThis; travel, food and entertainment site Thrillist; and science site Seeker, to include retail, fashion, fitness, beauty products and packaged goods.

The combined companies will reach a total of 200 million social media followers and advertisers and marketers will be able to tap into Group Nine’s in-house ad agency Brandshop, and PopSugar’s mobile commerce offering Sparkle and Must Have It, which lets advertisers send potential customers offers via SMS.

“Over the past few years, we’ve gotten PopSugar to profitability and found a way to build a well-diversified business that has outlasted many of our competitors in a rapidly evolving space,” PopSugar CEO Brian Sugar said in a press release. “Joining forces with a company and team that has the ambition, momentum, and market leadership of Group Nine, combined with our experience and innovation in commerce and experiential, will allow us to build a scalable business model that sets the standard for the next-generation media company.” 

Z Living said it has signed a new multi-year distribution agreement with Dish Network, the nationwide satellite-TV carrier that has moved the "healthy lifestyle" programmer into the America's Top 120 programming package and above from previous placement in America's Top 250.

“We are thrilled to have struck this long-term agreement with Dish, including the addition of Z Living in the America’s Top 120 tier," Rafe Oller, who joined the network as general manager last September, said in a release. "As we continue to offer Z Living’s growing audience original programming focused on health, fitness, food, travel and more, we are well on our way to becoming a leading health entertainment destination.”

Under Oller and programming head Tim Krubsack, the channel, previously called Veria Living and owned by a company affiliated with Zee Entertainment, has been adding shows about weight loss, pets and travel in addition to the prior focus on yoga and wellness. In March it announced a development partnership with Popsugar.

Jodi Lipe has joined Marketing for Ovation, as the new SVP for America’s only Arts Network, where she will manage all consumer efforts through branding, partnerships and social media platforms.

“I personally love the arts and entertainment and to be able to lead the marketing efforts for America’s only Arts network, at this time in the network’s evolution, is both meaningful and exciting. I’m looking forward to building upon the great foundation that Liz and the Ovation team have worked very hard to establish over the past seven years, said Lipe.

After working as EVP for two popular women’s lifestyle brands, POPSUGAR and ShopStyle, Lipe has led marketing campaigns for many different companies, including Cisco’s Flip Video, Current TV, AMC-TV, Viacom, Excite.com and Cartoon Network.

Based in Santa Monica, Lipe will report to Liz Janneman, EVP, Network Strategy.

“Jodi is both a strategic and creative brand builder with a proven track record building, leading, and executing for brands across a variety of categories,” said Janneman.  “We are delighted to have her on board as an integral part of our senior management team.”

Currently residing in Santa Monica, Lipe lives with her husband, son and dog.