The publisher of satirical news site the Onion has sold a minority stake to US Spanish-language broadcaster Univision.

Univision, which runs channels aimed primarily at the US’s Hispanic population, has taken a 40% stake worth less than $200m in Onion Inc, according to the New York Times. The company also runs viral publishing parody site Clickhole and digital culture site AV Club.



The broadcaster said Onion Inc would continue to be run independently, but will operate under the “oversight” of the cable network to help explore new ways of distributing Onion content. It also will reportedly have the option to buy the Onion outright.



The acquisition forms apart of Univision’s attempts to reach younger audiences. In 2013 it launched a joint venture with Disney, Fusion, designed to reach younger audiences online and on TV.

Univision chief news and digital officer Isaac Lee said comedy was “an incredibly engaging format” for so called millennials and would play “a key part in the 2016 presidential election process”.

He added: “The Onion has been, and continues to be, a leading force of this phenomenon of intellectual, social, cultural and satirical commentary online.

“Onion Inc as part of our portfolio is a great fit for and a significant step forward in our digital strategy as we continue to expand the ways we entertain and inform millennial and multicultural audiences.”

The Onion is famous for its straight-faced parodies of breaking news stories, peppered with quotes from people described as “area man”.



Memorable spoof stories have included welcoming Barack Obama’s victory in the 2008 US presidential election with the headline “Black Guy Given Nation’s Worst Job”.

Onion Inc chief executive Mike McAvoy said: “Onion Inc has remained successful by putting editorial first. We’re excited to partner with Univision, a company that understands and appreciates that foundation, and that can provide additional resources, expertise, and opportunity for our talented staff.”



Traditional US television companies have poured money into digital sites aimed at younger audiences in recent years. Both A+E Networks and 21st Century Fox have stakes in Vice Media, and last year Comcast’s NBC Universal division invested $200m in BuzzFeed.

The Onion started out in print as a weekly magazine in the 1980s, but in 2013 stopped producing a magazine to focus on digital media. In the UK, its style has been adopted by the Daily Mash, which launched in 2007.

Univision also invested in the Root, a site aimed primarily at African Americans. However, there have been reports of trouble at Fusion, with Disney understood to be considering selling its stake back to Univision.