Giggster Has Acquired Imaging Resource from BeBop

Giggster, an online platform for renting studio space, has acquired Imaging Resource from the BeBop Corporation, PetaPixel has learned.

The photo review publication was being offered as part of a bundle with Outdoor Photographer, Digital Photo Pro, Digital Photo, and the Image Creators Network for $500,000 from the jazz and performing arts-focused BeBop, which listed them for sale in mid-May. BeBop had only acquired the publications in March after purchasing the entirety of Madavor Media.

In that purchase announcement, BeBop treated Outdoor Photographer as a sort of “jewel in the crown” of the acquisition, although later it became clear that it was more Jazz Times that BeBop was interested in, and the quick offloading of Outdoor Photographer and all of the photo publications with it backs up that sentiment.

Last week, Imaging Resource‘s website — which had been taken down a couple of weeks prior — suddenly came back online, indicating that either a buyer had been found or that BeBop wanted to turn it back on to show that the outlet still existed to help with its sale.

PetaPixel reached out to BeBop to ask about the situation, and the company’s COO Sue Veres Royal confirmed that the publication had been sold.

“Yes, it was sold on Friday, May 26th to Giggster.com. It is my understanding that they will provide their official announcement in a press release on or after June 2nd,” she writes in an email.

While PetaPixel was only able to confirm that Imaging Resource had been acquired, BeBop was only offering it as part of a bundle with the other former Madavor Media photography publications and the banner advertising the sale has been removed from Outdoor Photographer‘s website, likely pointing to Giggster’s acquisition of the entire group of websites.

Giggster did not respond to PetaPixel‘s request for comment.

It is unclear what Giggster plans to do with these websites it now owns since they all have next to no employees. Prior to their sale, BeBop’s CEO Gregory Charles Royal got rid of most of Outdoor Photographer and Imaging Resource‘s staffs including writers, editors, and the sales teams. If Giggster wants to restart these publications in any way, it will need to spend time re-acquiring the talent required to operate them.

There is also the question of how the inherited debt for these publications will be dealt with. Multiple contributors to Outdoor Photographer have not been paid for months and PetaPixel has confirmed that thousands of dollars are owed to a large number of photographers and writers.

Giggster’s plans for the publications will likely be made clear after the company officially announces the acquisition, which could come as early as this week.