‘JOE’ and ‘Her’ company Maximum Media makes €466,000 profit

Dublin-based publisher records growth as it reinvents itself as online broadcaster

Maximum Media chief executive Katie Molony with broadcast director Paddy McKenna.
Maximum Media chief executive Katie Molony with broadcast director Paddy McKenna.

Maximum Media, the company behind the websites JOE.ie, Her.ie, HerFamily.ie and SportsJOE.ie, made a profit of €466,000 in the year to the end of April 2016, as it continued its run of growth.

The Dublin-based publisher, which is in the process of turning itself into a digital-era broadcaster, had about €715,000 in its profit and loss account, abridged accounts for the period show.

Maximum, founded by Niall McGarry, recently indicated it expects to earn €6 million in the year to the end of April 2017, which would mark a 40 per cent year-on-year increase on the previous year. The majority of its revenues come from branded content, sometimes known as native advertising.

Mr McGarry tweeted last week that Maximum, which expanded the JOE brand into the UK market in 2015, had hired its 140th full-time employee and that the number would reach 200 by 2018.

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The company recently dropped the “ie” suffix from its brands as part of a move to reposition itself as a broadcast company.

It has constructed a small broadcast studio and hired videographers and experienced television producers to launch a regular series of podcasts and Facebook Live shows, including this week's addition of a business-themed podcast, Capital B, presented by journalist Nick Webb and backed by AIB.

Daragh Byrne, formerly of UTV Ireland and TV3, joined the company in January as its chief commercial officer.

Maximum's directors are Mr McGarry and former Ireland rugby international Jerry Flannery, who has a minority stake.

Laura Slattery

Laura Slattery

Laura Slattery is an Irish Times journalist writing about media, advertising and other business topics