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The co-founders of LBG Media and Betches Media plan to learn from one another's content strategies to grow as a combined company. The four executives dined with Kerry on Tuesday for our "1 big meal" interview series.

Why it matters: The recent acquisition of Betches supports both teams' ambitions to scale and diversify revenue as the digital media business gets more fragmented with the rise of more online creators and platforms.

🏢 Why we chose the restaurant: Hole in the Wall in Flatiron. This Australian restaurant is very close to Betches' office.

🇦🇺 What we ate: LBG Media CEO Alex "Solly" Solomou had the market salad with grilled chicken and a cortado. Betches CEO Aleen Dreksler had the market salad and a Diet Coke.

Betches chief creative officer Sami Sage had the Cheezey burger with an Impossible patty and a golden turmeric latte. Betches chief innovation officer Jordana Abraham had the seasonal yogurt bowl and a green tea. I had the same but with an iced coffee.

This interview was edited for clarity, style and length.

Solomou: "We've been massive admirers of the Betches brand and business for nearly five years. ... We [found them] on Instagram. ... We loved the authenticity. You got things you just scroll past, but whenever we mention Betches, people love it. ... Two years ago, my co-founder Arian [Kalantari] reached out to Aleen."

Dreksler: "It was on LinkedIn. ... Over the [13] years, there's been plenty of people that have come our way ... but because it wasn't necessary [to sell] it wasn't something we were looking to do unless it was the right partner. ... We met in our offices, learned about each other and then just kept talking."

Your businesses are primarily ad-driven. How do you plan to sustain that and diversify?

Solomou: "The Betches team are doing a fantastic job in podcasts, events, merchandise as well as really building out very successfully in the U.S. ... partnerships with the likes of Gallo, Netflix. ... There's a lot that we can learn."

Abraham: "Bringing Betches global. We do have global reach but really scaling that [with] LADbible in Australia and the U.K."

What formats do you want to invest more in?

Solomou: "We're relentlessly focused on that younger generation coming through. Platforms like TikTok, Snap have been incredibly fast-growing for us."

Dreksler: "Since Day One, we've just valued high-quality content. We're big fans of great shows, movies, TVs. ... We've been really impressed by the amazing originals that LBG's team has been able to do."

What differences have you noticed between U.S. and U.K. media?

Sage: "We share A-list celebrities, but then America has a whole other economy of medium-sized celebrities and all these niches. ... Finding people who share a very specific interest or very specific passion is really something that we're aiming to do."

Solomou: "We have someone, [Ben Andrews], dedicated towards M&A. He's constantly building out the M&A pipeline ... whether it's geo-expansion or data, insights or other areas. ... [Betches] took two years of speaking to each other. We're very careful."

📚 1 fun fact: Solomou is an avid sneaker collector. Dreksler gave birth to her second child in September and is bilingual (with Russian). Sage has two dogs (Bruce and Larry) and is writing a book called "Democracy in Retrograde." Abraham is one of nine siblings.

LBG Media and Betches founders on scaling together

With LADbible's help, Betches wants to go global.

Photo illustration of Sami Sage, Alex “Solly” Solomou, Jordana Abraham and Aleen Dreksler on a picnic table patterned background.

Sami Sage, Alex "Solly" Solomou, Jordana Abraham and Aleen Dreksler. Photo illustration: Axios Visuals. Photos: Courtesy of LBG Media and Laura Valencia/Betches Media

Digital content

The co-founders of LBG Media and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Betches Media" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/pro/media-deals/2023/10/19/betches-lbg-media-sold" data-vars-content-id="6039d9cc-5635-491a-800f-d916864efce8" data-vars-headline="LBG Media and Betches founders on scaling together" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/pro/media-deals/2023/10/19/betches-lbg-media-sold" target="_self">Betches Media</a> plan to learn from one another&#x27;s content strategies to grow as a combined company. The four executives dined with Kerry on Tuesday for our <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="&quot;1 big meal&quot; interview series" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/pro/media-deals/2023/10/11/mirror-digital-ceo-sheila-marmon" data-vars-content-id="6039d9cc-5635-491a-800f-d916864efce8" data-vars-headline="LBG Media and Betches founders on scaling together" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/pro/media-deals/2023/10/11/mirror-digital-ceo-sheila-marmon" target="_self">&quot;1 big meal&quot; interview series</a>.Why it matters: The recent acquisition of Betches supports both teams&#x27; ambitions to scale and diversify revenue as the digital media business gets more fragmented with the rise of more online creators and platforms.

LBG Media and Betches founders on scaling together

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