NowThis and TheDodo Owner Group Nine Media Looks to Acquire Digital Competitors Potential deal comes as there have been twice as many SPAC IPOs in 2020 as there were in 2019Sean Burch | December 15, 2020 @ 8:10 AM Group Nine Media Group Nine Media, the owner of popular sites like NowThis, Thrillist and TheDodo, is considering buying competitors via a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC), The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. The company has discussed the possibility with consultants in recent weeks, people familiar with the matter told the Journal, and is aiming for deals “that could grow its audience and give it more bargaining power with online advertisers.” The report did not mention any specific acquisition targets.