UBM disposes of UK licensed trade portfolio

March 1, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

United Business Media is disposing of its UK licensed trade portfolio to William Reed for an initial cash consideration of £1.5m and further deferred performance-related consideration of up to £150,000. UBM is selling the portfolio on behalf of its UBM Connect division. The transaction is expected to close within a month, subject to the conclusion of a TUPE consultation process.

The sale of the portfolio – which comprises The Publican print magazine title, websites and awards event, together with the Theme and Bar Show brands – augments William Reed’s existing portfolio serving this market.

This transaction involves a total of 14 staff transfering to William Reed in accordance with the application of TUPE.

UK, London & West Sussex

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Qype acquires Coupon Provider and Launches QypeDeals.com

March 1, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Consumer reviews and recommendations site, Qype has added coupons and discount vouchers to its business through the acquisition of Munich based CooleDeals.de, Germany’s third largest coupon and voucher business after Groupon and DailyDeals. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Outlining this latest move Ian Brotherston, CEO at Qype said, “The coupons and vouchers model offers the perfect complement to our existing reviews and recommendation business. We are pleased that bringing the CooleDeals platform and expertise onboard will allow QypeDeals to rapidly extend our ability to deliver ever more value for our consumers and business partners. Qype has always had a major part to play as a positive community-led force demanding improved customer service, product quality and value for money for consumers through Europe” Brotherston continues,”I feel that adding the QypeDeals discount vouchers service through our acquisition of CooleDeals will only reinforce this as we all move forward together.”

Thomas Bernik, CooleDeals, “Blending together the Qype consumer content with our vouchers and discounts will provide a unique proposition in the marketplace and add significant value to our own existing customers, who will really benefit from this deal. We have seen huge growth in our business over the past 12 months and now as part of Qype I am expecting that as demand for discounts and vouchers continues to explode, QypeDeals will become the dominant force through 2011 and beyond”

Germany, Hamburg & Munich

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The New York Times Company sells UCompareHealthCare.com to MDx Medical

March 1, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

The New York Times Company has sold its UCompareHealthCare.com unit to MDxMedical, Inc., parent company of Vitals.com. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

UCompareHealthCare.com (“UCompare”), based in Marlborough, Mass., provides dynamic Web-based interactive tools to help consumers both measure the quality of and find healthcare services, healthcare providers and healthcare facilities.

“Combined, the UCompare and Vitals.com Web sites are visited more than 100 million times annually by patients. They use the sites to make more informed and intelligent decisions about their doctors, hospitals and other healthcare facilities,” said Mitch Rothschild, co-founder and CEO of MDx Medical. “With this acquisition, we’ll have the scale to make health care access simpler and more transparent for the consumer-patient. We’ll be introducing powerful Web-based and mobile applications so patients can access better quality care more conveniently.”

The Times Company acquired UCompareHealthCare.com in March 2007.

USA, New York, NY, Marlborough, MA & Lyndhurst, NJ

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MXGI acquires CyberAction

March 1, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

CyberAction, the Digital Trading Cards business, has been acquired by Media Exchange Group, a leading cross-platform mobile digital publisher. CyberAction will retain its name and become the Brand Name behind Media Exchange Group’s existing technology for digital trading cards. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“With the technological infrastructure and distribution capabilities we have in place, we can finally take Christian’s vision for the CyberAction Trading Card to a level that simply wasn’t feasible before,“ says Joe Cellura, Chairman of Media Exchange Group.

Los Gatos, CA

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Motorola Mobility invests in Catch Media

February 25, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Motorola Mobility Holdings, through its strategic investment arm, Motorola Mobility Ventures has made a strategic investment in Catch Media Inc., the provider of a patented licensed digital rights locker platform – Play Anywhere.

Catch Media’s patented registry, tracking, routing and clearinghouse technology, together with its unique post-acquisition license, provides retailers, carriers and consumer electronics vendors the ability to offer their customers legal and convenient access to their digital content from disparate devices – smartphones, tablets, set-tops, connected TVs and other connected devices inside and outside the home.

“Instant and easy access to music and video collections from any device, any place and at any time has become a necessity for consumers,” said Mony Hassid, managing director, Motorola Mobility Ventures. “Catch Media’s innovative B2B platform gives consumers the ubiquitous access they crave while compensating the content owners, content distributors and every other party that contributes to the ecosystem.”

“Teaming up with Motorola Mobility is very exciting for us and adds the support and expertise of a leading vendor for cellular carriers and Cable/Telco operators to the Play Anywhere® ecosystem,” said Yaacov Ben-Yaacov, co-founder and CEO of Catch Media. “Motorola Mobility’s support will enable our platform to be more tightly integrated across their devices.”

Ari Emanuel, Co-CEO of WME Entertainment, a strategic investor in Catch Media and one of the largest and most diversified Hollywood talent agencies, said, “Catch Media stands at the forefront of digital media companies seeking to offer consumers maximum convenience while ensuring that all the stakeholders in the process, including the actors, directors and content owners, share in the revenues generated. Motorola Mobility’s investment and guidance will serve as an important catalyst in the launch of Catch Media’s Play Anywhere services.”

Catch Media’s Play Anywhere system was rolled out with Best Buy Europe in Q4 2010 through a service called “Music Anywhere” offered by The Carphone Warehouse in the UK, and is expected to be rolled out in the U.S. in early 2011 in cooperation with the music industry. Catch Media will continue to work closely with the content industry to offer legal media cloud services that ensure rights holders are compensated as content is consumed across disparate devices.

USA, Libertyville, IL & Beverly Hills, CA

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Glam Media choosing bankers for an IPO

February 24, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Business Insider is reporting that Glam Media is listening to the sales pitches of about 14 Wall Street banks in preparation for an IPO. They quote “a source familiar with the situation”.

The report says that Glam hasn’t made any decisions yet,  though Bank of America (Merrill) had an early edge.

Glam Media raised its fifth round of venture capital last year – $50 million from aeris CAPITAL. The company did not disclose the valuation of the round, but it was rumoured to be around $750 million.

Read the full story

USA, Brisbane, CA

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Max Media Group acquires www.PatriotsTV.com

February 24, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Max Media Group has acquired http://www.PatriotsTV.com, an investigative reporting-focused company providing the latest news about Homeland Security, America’s Most Wanted Terrorists, and the 9-11 conspiracy.

James Grady CEO of MXMI. stated, “Wes and http://www.patriotstv.com brings a valuable asset in our news and information division. Wes’ contacts both domestic and abroad give him access to very high level officials that enable him to create exclusive breaking news in the fight against terrorism. This acquisition is another example of our business model and how we will continue to grow. We seek companies and content producers to add value to our growing media network! ”

Wesley T. Rodgers founder of PatriotsTV stated, “I am excited to be part of the Max Media team! After lengthy conversations with Jim about the MXMI plan I was convinced that we share the same vision about how news and information will be presented and consumed. The ability to combine the written word with pictures and video surely is the future in journalism. ”

Additionally, Grady addressed recent activity regarding MXMI share structure and shareholders concerns by stating, “There has been speculation amongst shareholders that the Company issued stock and sold shares. The increase in our float was caused by removal of a restrictive legend on shares issued for an acquisition 14 months ago. The acquisition was for Twenty (20) Million shares and the shares have been held well past the 12 month required holding period. The Company has not nor does it intend to participate in any so-called death spiral or “free-trading” share-based financings. Any issuance of securities will be under Rule 144 for both acquisitions and or potential financings. Consultants, employees and other third party providers will also only receive stock under Rule 144. “

Grady continued, “We value our shares and the role they play in our acquisition strategy. With all the acquisition opportunities before us and that we are in the final stages of completing, it would not be in the Company’s best interest to do anything destructive to our share structure. It is our intent to continue on an aggressive, shareholder-friendly growth strategy to fuel our revenue model.

USA, Palm Harbor, FL

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Disney acquires kids social online community site Togetherville

February 24, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

TechCrunch is reporting that Disney has acquired Togetherville, a social online community for families where parents create safe online neighborhoods for their kids (under 10) to play and connect with the real-life friends and family they already know and trust.

Togetherville mimics adult social networks in a kid-appropriate way. Each neighborhood is built around each specific child and remains closed to outsiders. Kids have their own profile pages, complete with their photos.

TechCrunch were were tipped off on the acquisition by one of their readers. Togetherville’s terms of service states: “Welcome to the Internet sites of the Walt Disney Internet Group (“WDIG”). “WDIG Sites” include Disney.com, ABCNEWS.com, ABC.com, ESPN.com, DisneyShopping.com, Go.com, Movies.com, FamilyFun.com, and other Internet sites on which these terms of use are posted.” TechCrunch also report another clue, CEO and founder Mandeep Dhillon’s LinkedIn profile,  states he is “Vice President, Togetherville at The Walt Disney Company.”

Read the full story

USA, Burbank, CA & Menlo Park, CA

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Mediabistro.com (a division of WebMediaBrands) acquires Twittercism.com

February 24, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Mediabistro.com (a division of WebMediaBrands) has acquired the assets of the Twittercism.com blog from Shea Bennett. Mr. Bennett will continue working with and writing for Mediabistro. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

“Shea Bennett has been covering Twitter for over two years on Twittercism and we will now combine his well-known analysis and commentary with our blog AllTwitter to create what we believe to be the most complete coverage of the evolution of Twitter and its rapidly expanding social media business model,” stated Alan M. Meckler, Chairman and CEO of WebMediaBrands. “We are excited to continue building on our leadership in covering the huge growth of social media through our various social media blogs including AllFacebook, SocialTimes, and AllTwitter, as well as our SocialTimesPro research service and social media events.”

USA, New York, NY

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QED Connect to acquire StockProfile.com

February 24, 2011 — Fusion DigiNet

Investment firm QED Connect is to acquire StockProfile.com. In addition, QED Connect intends to acquire StockProfileTV.com and SPnewsWire.com as part of the acquisition.

StockProfile.com provides the investing public with a unique information portal for investors who like to conduct their own research as well as make their own investment decisions. The StockProfile.com platform allows users to discover dynamic publicly traded companies in a free, user-friendly environment.

SPnewsWire.com (powered by StockProfile.com) is a web portal displaying public news and information issued by, or related to, the companies that have displayed on the StockProfile.com platform.

StockProfileTV.com (powered by StockProfile.com) is a new website displaying certain videos related to publicly traded companies displayed on the StockProfile.com platform.

“This Letter of Intent to acquire StockProfile.com and its related web properties provides valuable assets to the Company and helps our overall strategy of making QED more diversified and dynamic,” commented Tom Makmann, CEO of QED Connect. “The cross marketing potential with the public companies on the StockProfile.com platform provides an additional area which QED plans to exploit for its long term benefit. We are excited about the opportunity to acquire a strong media platform such as StockProfile.com.”

The companies expect to finalise a definitive agreement by April 4, 2011. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

USA, New York,NY & Manchester, NH

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