IAC approves spinoff of home improvement marketplace Angi

Barry Dillerâ€s IAC said Monday that its board approved the spinoff of Angi, the home improvement marketplace the company acquired in 2017.

IAC said it expects the transaction to close in the second quarter of the year. The two companies will post their respective fourth-quarter results when IAC reports on Feb. 11. Angi was founded in 1995 as Angieâ€s List, which went public on the Nasdaq in 2011.

As part of the spinoff, IAC CEO Joey Levin will leave his role and become an advisor to the company. Levin will also take on a new role as Angiâ€s executive chairman, serving as the marketplaceâ€s senior executive alongside CEO Jeff Kip, IAC said.

“Joey Levin has been an exemplary leader of IAC, creating significant value during his nearly decade-long tenure as IAC CEO,â€� Diller, IACâ€s chairman, said in a statement.

Upon Levinâ€s vacancy, IAC will operate without a new CEO, the company said. IACâ€s top execs will report directly to Diller, as will publisher Dotdash Meredith, the companyâ€s largest business. The rest of IACâ€s units will report to operating chief Christopher Halpin.

IAC has previously used no-CEO structures when reorganizing its businesses. Most recently, in 2013, then-CEO Greg Blatt stepped down from the role to become chairman of the newly formed Match Group division.

“Each of IAC and Angi has a vigorous future, and I expect to remain an active participant in both,� Levin said in a statement.

As part of the spinoff, IAC shareholders will get direct ownership of Angi, IAC said.

IAC first announced it was considering a spinoff of Angi in November. At the time, the company said Angiâ€s revenue declined 16% year over year to $296.7 million during the third quarter. The company attributed the slide to reduced sales and marketing spend, which led to a decrease in service requests and lower acquisition of new professionals.

IAC acquired Angieâ€s List in a deal valued at more than $500 million. It merged the site with HomeAdvisor, creating a new public company. Angi currently has a market cap of about $770 million, and IAC owns 85% of it.

The spinoff has been under consideration for several years, but IAC postponed the effort in 2019 as it completed the Match Group transaction. Match owns dating services including Tinder, Match and Hinge.

IAC has become known for incubating businesses and spinning them off into separate companies. Itâ€s done the same with Expedia, Ticketmaster and LendingTree, among others.