Aiir and PlayoutONE announce intention to merge

Aiir + PlayoutOne logos

New York, NY USA. November 1, 2022.

Aiir and PlayoutONE are pleased to announce that the companies have entered into a merger agreement.

New York based Aiir Inc, a leading provider of online digital solutions for radio stations has agreed to merge with UK based PlayoutONE Ltd, the world's fastest growing radio automation company, to create a new leading super focused broadcast media technology business.

Ricki Lee, Aiir CEO: "Our two companies have been working together for a number of years. Earlier this year we decided that bringing our businesses, products and people together made a lot of sense; for us, and for our customers."

Dave Brierley-Jones, PlayoutONE CEO: "I'm truly excited about the possibilities of what we can achieve together as one team. There's no overlap in our current product offerings, but they're clearly complementary. We'll shortly be announcing a brand new 'world first' product for the radio industry that we've been working on together for the past few years."

The new American based company will be called Aiir Group Inc and will be led by Ricki Lee as Chief Executive Officer with Dave Brierley-Jones taking on day to day responsibilities as Chief Operating Officer.

The merger is expected to be completed by Jan 1, 2023.

Aiir was established in 2003 by Ricki Lee and Gav Richards, who still run the business today.

The company offers online services to the worldwide radio industry, including websites, mobile apps and listener interaction dashboard "Studio Inbox". Everything is managed using their easy-to-use fully hosted CMS platform.

PlayoutONE was established in 2013 by Dave Brierley-Jones, Chris Oakley and Phil Johnson, who still run the business today.

The company specializes in Radio Automation software, Streaming and Smart Assistant skills. PlayoutONE is renowned for its WebVT (Remote Voice Tracking) service, which allows stations to not only allow talent to record shows, but also broadcast live from wherever they are in the world.

FAQs

Why are you merging?

The two companies have been working together for a number of years. Earlier this year we decided that bringing our businesses, products and people together made a lot of sense; for us, and for our customers. There's no overlap in our current product offerings, but they're clearly complementary. We're excited about the possibilities of what we can achieve together as one team.

Is Aiir taking over PlayoutONE / has Aiir bought PlayoutONE?

No, Aiir has not bought PlayoutONE. The two companies are merging equally to form a new company, but it was decided mutually that the best name and brand to use for the new company would be Aiir.

Who owns / will run the new company?

The new company will be owned equally by all the previous shareholders of Aiir and PlayoutONE. It will be run by a board consisting of shareholders and key personnel from both of the businesses.

What's going to happen to Aiir/PlayoutONE's products?

Over time, we'll be bringing all of our products together under the Aiir brand. We have no plans at present to significantly change how any of our products work as a result of the merger, so expect more of the same for the foreseeable.

What's going to happen to Aiir/PlayoutONE's people?

We're bringing our teams together under one "roof". The merger was not motivated by an ambition to scale back, and there's no duplication of existing roles. Our teams are very complementary, and the new combined company will benefit from the skills and expertise of both of the former businesses.

If I currently use a PlayoutONE product, will I have to use an Aiir product as well, or vice versa? (e.g. if I use PlayoutONE, will I have to have an Aiir website?)

Absolutely not. You'll be able to continue to pick and choose which products match your needs best. They'll continue to integrate with a range of products, just as they do now. That includes those within the new Aiir family, and third-party tools as well.

What's going to happen to Aiir/PlayoutONE's customer support?

It's business as usual. Over time, we'll look at how the new combined company can make better use of the collective resources now available, to offer an improved support service for all our customers.

Will pricing change? Does this mean prices are going up?

We have no plans to change our pricing as a result of this merger. We will be reviewing all mutual client pricing to ensure they are getting the best deal possible. Contact us to talk about our new multi-product offers.