Vice Media to buy Refinery29 for undisclosed sum

​Vice Media LLC said on Wednesday that it will buy Refinery29, an online publication focused on entertainment and lifestyle pieces for women, aiming to strengthen its content across platforms.

The companies did not disclose the deal value, but the Financial Times reported that the transaction valued the companies at a combined $4 billion, citing people familiar with the matter.

The consolidation would help the online publishers to scale in the face of falling digital advertising rates.

In 2018, Vice Media LLC had named Nancy Dubuc as chief executive officer months after apologizing for allowing a “boy’s club” atmosphere to flourish at the company.

The company, in December 2017, had fired three employees on reports that more than two dozen women experienced or witnessed sexual misconduct at the company.

It has since laid out steps to improve the work atmosphere for women, committing to equal pay for men and women by the end of 2018.