Dear Betches,
On a freezing February night in 2011, we were sitting on the couch of our college apartment, just months away from graduating. We vividly remember laughing together as we created the Betches blog under an anonymous byline, which we thought (ironically) would be more future employment-friendly. Though we could hardly have dreamed of this day, Betches was born of an idea that has always remained our north star.
Even back then, we craved a space to laugh, to mentally escape, and to connect by exploring our nuances and embracing our complexities. Those parts of ourselves that the 2000s decade had signaled should be quieter and smaller, both literally and figuratively. The three of us may have all grown up in one place, but we knew that women everywhere craved this too.
In those early days, we never would’ve imagined that we would get the privilege to work with some of the brightest, funniest, and most accomplished women and men on the internet. That Ariana Grande would date SpongeBob, that Justin Bieber would be the only stable husband in Hollywood (for now), and that our former president would be the former Apprentice host. And we certainly did not expect that we would one day make news by being acquired.
If you haven’t seen the announcement about Betches, it’s true — we’re so excited to announce that Betches is now a member of the LBG Media Group.
After 12 years, why did we make the decision now? Well, there are a few reasons. But to give you the TLDR, we never wanted our company to be acquired by just anyone. LBG Media, the owner of youth publisher LADbible Group, is a British digital publisher and you probably already follow (or are familiar with) some of their accounts on social media, like UNILAD and LADbible. Like Betches, LADbible Group is a social-first company that was founded in the early 2010s by lifelong friends while they were in college at uni (no, we won’t hesitate to pull our new British card). From there, we quickly found that wasn’t where our similarities ended; we shared their strategic approach to building a long-term business and felt their mutual passion for creating content that our audiences truly want. After about a year of realizing things, it felt like a natural next step for the brand.
LBG understands how important you are to us, and from a business standpoint, how much room there is for growth in women’s media, as there is certainly demand to be met. As 2023 has proven (Hi Barbie! Hi Beyoncé! Hi to our Eras bracelets that we are never, ever, ever going to part with), we under-served and under-estimated women are a force, and our decade-long connection with all of you is the special ingredient that has made Betches who we are today. LBG saw our 13 million Instagram followers, our 40 million podcast downloads, our reach of 250 million, our 4 billion video views, and recognized the same thing we did: life is better when we’re laughing to ease the real sh*t together. And most importantly, LBG whole-heartedly supports our aspiration to become the undisputed number one humor brand for women globally.
We couldn’t allow this moment to pass without sharing our endless gratitude for our Betches team, both past and present, who have collectively made this brand what it is and enabled us to stand the test of time. You have made this ~journey~ smoother, funnier, and more inspired, and we consider ourselves extremely lucky to have shared these years with you. Here’s to another dozen and beyond.
We totally understand this might leave you wondering whether, like your BFF who once accidentally dated a philosophy major, this new relationship is going to change us? Not at all. The reason LBG chose us is the reason we chose them — they appreciate us for who we are. What will change under this partnership is our ability to grow even bigger and more impactful. And of course, we can’t wait to keep making you laugh as we go through the more dramatic seasons of life together.
We’re so grateful for the privilege you’ve all given us to continue doing what we love and growing up alongside you. So, yes, Betches will still be the same old (young) Betches you know and love and follow — just a little more international.
Stay Betchy,
Aleen, Sami & Jordana
