Myspace Owners Confirm Plan to Revive the Platform

Myspace’s current owners are signaling another attempt to resurrect the once-dominant social network. Brothers Chris and Tim Vanderhook, who acquired the platform in 2011, revealed their revival plans in a newly released documentary titled “Myspace.” No launch timeline or design details have been shared yet.

A Platform That Once Ruled the Internet

Myspace debuted in 2003 and rose to become the most-trafficked site in the United States by mid-2006, surpassing even Google and eBay at the time. News Corp acquired the platform and its parent company for roughly $580 million in 2005, but the media giant’s investment didn’t pay off. By 2011, News Corp sold Myspace for a fraction of that price—around $35 million—to Specific Media, the Vanderhooks’ company, in partnership with musician Justin Timberlake.

A Costly Second Act

That ownership group attempted a music-centric overhaul of the site in 2013, hoping to carve out a niche as advertisers and users increasingly migrated to Facebook and other rivals. The redesign failed to gain traction, and advertisers pulled back. The Vanderhooks estimate they sank more than $150 million into the failed rebuilding effort.

Despite that steep loss, the brothers appear undeterred. Tim Vanderhook has indicated that even if this next revival attempt doesn’t succeed, the pair is prepared to try yet again.

Myspace’s cultural legacy still carries weight—the platform is credited with helping launch the careers of artists like Adele and Arctic Monkeys, giving the Vanderhooks’ persistence a certain historical logic even if the business case remains uncertain.

No further details on the relaunch’s scope, features, or timeline have been made public.