LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Airtasker (ASX: ART), the global marketplace for local services, today announced it has secured a total of $12 million in media capital through partnerships with Sinclair Broadcast Group, a division of Sinclair, Inc. (NASDAQ:SBGI) and Mercurius Media Capital LP. These partnerships bring Airtasker USA’s total media capital raised in 2024 to $21.75 million, expanding the company’s reach and enabling more Americans to connect with local Taskers for help with everyday tasks.
Sinclair Media Partnership: Sinclair is providing Airtasker USA with $6 million in advertising inventory, unlocking new potential opportunities to promote the Airtasker brand within Sinclair’s 185 owned and/or operated television stations in 86 US markets and digital multicast networks including Comet, Charge! and The Nest.
“At Sinclair, we are always looking for innovative ways to accelerate growth and provide value to dynamic companies that are shaping the future,” said Andrew Schnell, VP Corporate Strategy and Development at Sinclair. “This deal is just one example of how we are expanding our strategy to include creative partnerships that drive mutual success. We look forward to working with Airtasker to help expand their footprint and mission of creating a community marketplace for tasks across the US.”
Mercurius Media Partnership: In this strategic, multi-year partnership, Mercurius is providing Airtasker USA with $6 million in premium advertising inventory. This will allow Airtasker to leverage premium advertising inventory across broadcast, streaming, and digital networks through Mercurius partners, including TelevisaUnivision, Sinclair and Willow TV.
“We’re proud to partner with Airtasker as it continues its incredible journey,” said Piyush Puri, Founding Partner of Mercurius. “The US represents an exciting new chapter, and under Tim Fung’s leadership, Airtasker is set to redefine the local services economy. We’re thrilled to support this expansion by leveraging our media capital model to help amplify their growth and bring this innovative approach to even more people. This partnership is a perfect alignment of shared values and ambition, and I can’t wait to see what we can achieve together.”
These new partnerships build on Airtasker’s $9.75 million in strategic media partnerships with iHeartMedia and TelevisaUnivision, announced in September of this year, further accelerating growth and amplifying brand recognition across the US. Since September, Airtasker has seen significant growth in its Los Angeles market in particular, with a +172% increase in posted tasks, +223% increase in GMV, +98% increase in user sign ups and +66% increase in Tasker sign ups.
“Our proven media partnership model saw the Airtasker marketplace scale to over $200 million in Australia and we’re now seeing our UK marketplace growing over 100% year-on-year,” said Tim Fung, Founder and CEO of Airtasker. “Now is the right time to step on the gas pedal and take Airtasker’s mission - to empower people to realise the full value of their skills - all across the US!”
The media partnership model has been a cornerstone of Airtasker’s international growth strategy, already driving significant success in the US, UK, and Australia. Airtasker connects people with local Taskers to make everyday tasks easier for Americans. Popular Airtasker services include home repairs, pet care, event planning, and much more. Airtasker has 3M Taskers across the US, UK and Australia who have completed 4.3M tasks, with completed tasks in the U.S. up 306% YoY.
About Airtasker
Airtasker Limited (ASX: ART) is Australia’s leading online marketplace for local services, connecting people and businesses who need work done with people who want to work. With a mission to empower people to realize the full value of their skills, Airtasker aims to have a positive impact on the future of work by creating truly flexible opportunities to work and earn income. Since launching in 2012, Airtasker has put more than $600 million into the pockets of workers (payments made after all fee revenue is deducted) and served more than 1.3 million unique paying customers across the world. For more information, visit: investor.airtasker.com.
About Sinclair
Sinclair Broadcast Group, a division of Sinclair, Inc. (Nasdaq: SBGI) is a diversified media company and a leading provider of local news and sports. Sinclair owns, operates and/or provides services to 185 television stations in 86 markets affiliated with all the major broadcast networks; owns Tennis Channel and multicast networks Comet, Charge!, TBD and The Nest. Sinclair’s content is delivered via multiple platforms, including over-the-air, multi-channel video program distributors, and the nation’s largest streaming aggregator of local news content, NewsON. Sinclair regularly uses its website as a key source of information which can be accessed at www.sbgi.net.
About Mercurius
Mercurius is a U.S.-based independent media fund backed by leading media companies, including Sinclair Broadcast Group, TelevisaUnivision, and Willow TV. With over $50 million in media capital, Mercurius pools premium media inventory at scale to create a powerful platform for portfolio companies to build their brands and accelerate growth. Through strategic partnerships with its media partners, Mercurius helps emerging brands amplify their U.S. presence, driving success in a competitive market. The fund has supported several high-growth companies, including Deskera (a B2B SaaS ERP platform), Edly (a fintech platform for students), RVnGo (a peer-to-peer RV rental platform), and Captain Experiences (a leading outdoor sports marketplace). For more information, visit www.mmc.us.