Launched in 2005 by co-founders Chris Wirasinha and Oscar Martin, Pedestrian.TV was initially distributed as a
DVD magazine, stylised as a "Plastizine", with the
advertorial backing of
BMW Mini. In 2007, the company shifted online, launching the Pedestrian.TV site. In 2010, the company launched sub-site Pedestrian JOBS; a creative industries-focused employment classifieds board.
Nine Entertainment subsequently acquired a 60% stake in Pedestrian.TV in 2015 for a reported $10 million. Nine bought out Wirasinha and Martin's remaining 40% ownership share in 2018 for an additional $39 million, putting the company's total valuation just shy of $100 million. In 2017 Pedestrian.TV broke the story of youth government broadcaster
Triple J's initial internal discussions regarding moving the
Triple J Hottest 100 away from the controversial 26 January
Australia Day public holiday. Triple J ultimately shifted the Hottest 100 date to the fourth weekend in January, citing a desire to remain "an event that
everyone can enjoy together." Following the merger of Nine and
Fairfax Media in 2018, the business behind Pedestrian.TV was merged with that of
Allure Media, forming the larger Pedestrian Group, with the website changing its name to Pedestrian, and also incorporating the brands
Business Insider Australia,
Gizmodo, Kotaku and
POPSUGAR Australia. It was announced that it would continue to be run by its founders. Also in 2019, Pedestrian acquired Openair Cinemas (formerly
American Express Openair Cinemas, which arranged outdoor showings of films in open spaces across Australia and New Zealand). According to audience data in September 2019, the website reached over one million
unique users per month, and attracted in excess of two million monthly page views. PopSugar was still part of the group in September 2019, A new team was announced for Refinery29 later that year, and in January 2022 a new team of five, headed by Brad Esposito, was announced to head up Vice Australia and New Zealand. In July 2024, it was reported that Pedestrian would undergo restructuring as part of a cost-cutting effort. Chief executive Matt Rowley announced his departure from the company and up to 40 positions will be eliminated. Pedestrian will also end its licensing deals with Vice, Refinery29,
Gizmodo,
Lifehacker, and
Kotaku. ==Description==