News International Sells Bun.com

News International has announced the sale of Bun.com to pan-European net company World Online. The internet service provider which was launched last year (see The Sun Serves Up CurrantBun) was sold for an undisclosed sum.

The sale will increase World Online’s subscriber base by more than 450,000 users and allow News International to concentrate on the development of new online products.

Bun.com was originally launched by News International as CurrantBun.com, an online spin-off of the Sun. The site was then repositioned and renamed in October last year to offer a broader range of content and lost the Sun association and branding (see CurrantBun.com Set To Relaunch). The rebranding followed the departure of CurrantBun’s general manager, Ellis Watson, in August.

Alasdair MacLeod, managing director of News Network, the new media division of News International, said: “News International will focus all of its internet efforts on the areas where the company has the best opportunities for creating long term value, and we are therefore concentrating on developing e-commerce businesses built around the massive reach and brand trength of our newspapers.”

The latest venture to be launched by the group is Firedup.com, an entertainment driven auction site.

News International: 020 7782 6000