Summit Media takes full ownership of PEP, SPIN

MANILA, Philippines – Summit Media has taken full ownership of entertainment and lifestyle news website PEP.ph and sports publication SPIN.ph, the digital media and publishing company announced on Wednesday, November 11.

PEP.ph was founded in 2006 by editor-in-chief Jo-Ann Maglipon. It has since served as a portal into the lives of Filipino celebrities through showbiz news and blind items. It also publishes content on beauty, finance, and other entertainment-adjacent topics.

PEP.ph, which stands for Philippine Entertainment Portal, was jointly launched by Summit Media and GMA in 2007.

Meanwhile, SPIN.ph, which stands for Sports Interactive Network, was launched in 2012 under a joint partnership between Summit Media and GMA. Its coverage spans anything and everything sports — from tennis to esports to leagues like the PBA, PVL, UAAP, and the NCAA, among others. It is helmed by editor-in-chief Eduardo Catacutan Jr.

“These brands have built something that cannot easily be replicated: credibility, audience relationships, and a deep understanding of Filipino popular culture. Our next chapter is about building on those strengths and expanding the ways audiences experience entertainment,” Summit Media president and CEO Howard Go said in a press release.

This comes just after Summit Media formed a partnership with PlayTime Entertainment in the form of a venture called PT Summit. It aims to use technology to distribute content, engage audiences, and come up with new models in the evolving media ecosystem.

“Our focus is on building capabilities that allow established content businesses to evolve, reach audiences in new ways, and explore opportunities that were previously difficult to pursue. This partnership is about creating the foundation for what comes next,” said Crisanto Roy Alcid, president and CEO of PT Summit.

Amid Summit Media’s move to take full ownership of the two publications, PEP.ph and SPIN.ph will still be able to maintain their editorial voices and exercise their own journalistic standards as they operate daily. – Rappler.com