Yahoo Buys Video Service Maven Networks for $160 Million USD

[zekrahminator]

Whilst Microsoft is in the middle of what The Inquirer calls a "hostile takeover" of Yahoo, Yahoo decided to buy a company of their own. Maven Networks recently accepted a $160 million offer to be bought out by Yahoo. It is very likely that this move was to increase the value of Yahoo. It should be noted that Yahoo was in talks with Maven long before the whole Microsoft-buying-Yahoo debacle. As part of the acquisition, Yahoo gets some fine deals with CBS Sports, Gannett, News Corp, Hearst and Sony Pictures. Yahoo will not lay off any of Maven's 70 employees, despite laying off nearly 1,000 of their own. Another large benefit to Yahoo acquiring Maven will be the sudden boost of places where Yahoo can shove their advertisements, further increasing revenue. Whether or not this is enough to fend off the "hostile takeover", we'll have to wait and see.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[imperialreign]

movie quote: "Can't anybody see that this is the last act of a desperate man?!"

I get the feeling Yahoo! just shot themselves in the foot. I'm sure the shareholders aren't happy, either.

 

[AddSub]

This is a stock booster, a temporary stop-gap measure, nothing more. They've been doing this for the last 4-5 years, ever since Terry Semel took over. Acquiring randomly and often small-to-mid size corporations in order to project a false sense of progress and financial stability is not a smart strategy long term, especially for a corporation like Yahoo which really has limited sources of income (advertising mostly). Last year, just before Terry stepped down, they tried diversifying a bit, ala Google, but that went nowhere fast. They don’t have the money or brains as compared to Google or Microsoft.

Yahoo execs sat on their asses for years collecting all that advertising revenue until they realized Google, MSN, and other European and Asian alternatives were slowly devouring their piece of the pie.

Interestingly enough, Google is on the same path as Yahoo. I have no doubt same will happen to Google in few years or so

 

[bassmasta]

google won't die soon. they just make too much money off their advertising. MS doesn't make too much outside of software.