Amazon acquires BuyVIP

October 7, 2010 — Fusion DigiNet

Amazon is to acquire Madrid based BuyVIP.com, a fashion and lifestyle online buying community with more than 6M members in Spain, Germany and Italy.  BuyVIP offers members time-limited campaigns from top fashion and lifestyle brands at low prices, generally 30 to 70% below the retail price..

BuyVIP was founded in 2006 with the launch of its German and Spanish websites at the same time.  It is rumoured the price paid is somewhere between $60M and $80M.   The transaction is expected to close in Q4.

Source: Press Release

USA, San Francisco, CA

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Fremantle Media acquires 60% of @Radical.Media

October 5, 2010 — Fusion DigiNet

Freemantle has taken a 60% stake in @Radical.Media a global transmedia business that creates innovative advertising and branded entertainment content.  The deal represents Freemantes first move into the branded entertainment space.

The companies have had a successful relationship since 2008 and have worked together on several highly acclaimed TV series Iconoclasts on the Sundance Channel, Britney: For the Record, and the table tennis tournament Hardbat Classic on ESPN.

Financial details of the transaction were not announced.

Source:  Press Release

FremantleMedia is part of the RTL Group, Europe’s largest television and radio broadcast company, which is in turn 90 percent owned by Bertelsmann AG

USA, Burbank CA & New York, NY

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Deltek to Acquire INPUT

September 30, 2010 — Fusion DigiNet

Deltek, a provider of enterprise applications software and solutions for project-focused businesses, is to acquire INPUT for $60 million in an all cash transaction. The transaction is expected to close on October 1st, 2010.

The addition of INPUT’s industry leading opportunity intelligence and business development capabilities to Deltek’s comprehensive portfolio of government contracting solutions and its govWin network expands Deltek’s product offerings to manage all facets of the government contracting value chain from opportunity identification to project delivery.

Based in Reston, VA, INPUT has nearly 200 employees and had revenues of $26.2 million for 2009 – an increase of 13% from 2008. With more than 2,100 customers, INPUT enables companies to successfully identify and develop new business opportunities with federal, state and local government and other public sector organizations. Many of the largest government contractors and agencies rely on INPUT for the latest and most comprehensive opportunity database and market research information. INPUT powers an active network of over 30,000 members that collaborate on federal, state and local government opportunities, develop teaming relationships and win new business.

“Our entire INPUT team is extremely proud of the great company that we have collectively built over the years,” said Peter Cunningham, Chairman of INPUT. “Our services provide a unique combination of content and context (software). This is the direction for the information services industry in the 21st century, and we are ahead of the game. The combination of INPUT with Deltek makes for a perfect match to accelerate our growth and commitment to our members. Deltek’s enterprise software capability, industry expertise, and customer list are completely synergistic with INPUT’s capabilities and customer base, creating a combined organization that no competitor can match. Our association with Deltek will provide a wonderful opportunity for our 2,100 member organizations to get increased value from our services and for our staff to have an almost unlimited career growth opportunity. I cannot imagine us finding a finer and more appropriate partner to carry out our mission.”

“Acquiring a market leader like INPUT is a landmark move for Deltek,” said Kevin Parker, President and CEO of Deltek. “We are fully committed to investing in INPUT to expand its offerings, deliver new capabilities, and ensure that its customers continue to receive tremendous value from its products and services. We also look forward to combining INPUT’s world-class business development and market research capabilities with our existing solutions. Together, we are now powering the entire government contracting value chain, while providing our customers with the timely, data-driven market research they need to navigate their way to success. This move solidifies Deltek’s standing as the premier government contracting solutions provider and thought leader in the market today.”

USA, Herndon, VA

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Marketron Acquires mSnap

September 30, 2010 — Fusion DigiNet

Marketron, a provider of business software solutions and services for the media industry, has acquired mSnap, the largest broadcast-based mobile advertising network in the U.S. and a leading provider of mobile advertising solutions. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“Mobile is one of the fastest growing advertising segments in our industry and mSnap has established itself as an innovative leader in the category,” said Mike Pallad, Executive Vice President of Sales for Citadel Broadcasting. “The acquisition of the company by Marketron, which offers a host of cross-channel solutions for media companies, will increase mSnap’s capabilities and development. We’re proud of our partnerships with Marketron and mSnap and look forward to the benefits this merger will offer our stations and advertisers.”

“We are excited to join Marketron, as the company provides the technology and services integral to the success of thousands of media organizations around the world,” said Tim Favia, CEO of mSnap. “By combining our expertise in mobile advertising technology with Marketron’s software, services and distribution, we will enable media companies to leverage the mobile ad medium, and for the first time be able to sell, fulfill and account for it. This combination also provides significant scale to our network, increasing our leadership position and making us more relevant to advertisers as they move to the mobile medium.”

This acquisition enables Marketron to accelerate the growth of the already largest broadcast-based mobile network, consisting of 30 million unique subscribers and 1,400 premium publishers and serving 250 million advertising messages per month. The acquisition helps Marketron solidify mobile’s position as a growing advertising channel in the digital space, offering benefits to media companies and advertisers alike. 

USA, Hailey, ID

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Tribune reaches agreement with hedgefunds – enables the company to exit Chapter 11

September 29, 2010 — Fusion DigiNet

Tribune Company has reached agreement with Oaktree Capital Management and Angelo, Gordon & Co on a plan of reorganization that will settle claims surrounding “Step 1” of the company’s 2007 going-private transaction.
 
The settlement comes as a result of the court-ordered mediation requested by the company and overseen by U. S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Kevin Gross; it has been approved by the Special Committee of Tribune’s Board of Directors, comprised of independent members of the company’s board. Oaktree and Angelo Gordon, who will be co-proponents of this plan, both hold significant amounts of the Initial and Incremental Term Loan of Tribune Company.
 
“The plan addresses two primary issues that are fundamental to a successful reorganization of Tribune,” said Don Liebentritt, Tribune’s Chief Restructuring Officer. “First, it enables the company to exit Chapter 11 and distributes the equity of the reorganized Tribune and its subsidiaries to the holders of the Initial and Incremental Term Loan claims. Second, to the extent not settled prior to confirmation, all claims identified by the Examiner’s Report relating to ‘Step 2’ of the company’s going-private transaction are preserved and placed in a litigation trust. We remain confident that additional settlements will be reached.”

The Litigation Trust will allow an independent litigation trustee to pursue legal action relating to the remaining fraudulent conveyance issues alleged by various unsecured creditors, while avoiding the possible negative impact these litigation issues might have on the company’s business operations.

The plan’s settlement resolves claims associated with the financing of “Step 1” of the going-private transaction, all of which the Examiner found to have less than 50% probability of success. The settlement, which has been overseen by the court-appointed mediator, provides for Tribune Company’s senior bondholders to receive a total distribution of $300 million (approximately 23% of their claim amount) in cash plus their interest in the Litigation Trust.

Unsecured creditors of Tribune Company will receive the same percentage recovery, also in cash and an interest in Litigation Trust, which will allow them to seek redress for potential fraudulent conveyance issues. Unsecured creditors of Tribune Company’s subsidiaries will have an opportunity to receive 50% of their claim amount in cash.

The plan also provides for both Initial Term Loan Lenders and Incremental Term Loan Lenders to receive a pro rata distribution of cash, debt and equity of the reorganized Tribune and its subsidiaries pursuant to the terms of Credit Agreement.

USA, Chicago, IL

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AOL acquires video content syndication platform 5min Media

September 29, 2010 — Fusion DigiNet

AOL has acquired 5min Media, the Web’s largest video syndication platform (comScore Media Metrix data, August 2010). The acquisition allows AOL to significantly expand its consumer offering of contextually relevant, high-quality video across its sites. Deal terms were not disclosed.

“AOL and 5min Media share the same excitement about the direction our industry is taking, and our complementary video capabilities make us a compelling fit and an attractive combination for content creators and publishers”.“Our acquisition of 5min Media is the latest in a number of steps we have taken this year to better position AOL to capture the growing video opportunity on the Web,” said Tim Armstrong, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of AOL. “AOL is building a video ecosystem for the next decade. 5min Media is the perfect complement to our powerful video capabilities — it provides a missing piece in the AOL value chain that completes our end-to-end video offering from content creation through syndication and distribution to the consumer experience and monetization.”

“AOL and 5min Media share the same excitement about the direction our industry is taking, and our complementary video capabilities make us a compelling fit and an attractive combination for content creators and publishers,” said Ran Harnevo, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, 5min Media. “We’ve seen rapid and successful growth as an independent organization and becoming part of AOL is a natural next step. We’re confident that AOL’s organizational horsepower, combined with the vast library, audience and syndication capabilities 5min Media offers, present compelling opportunities for AOL as well as the content creators we work with and the publishers we serve.”

USA, New York, NY

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AOL to acquire TechCrunch network of sites

September 29, 2010 — Fusion DigiNet

AOL has agreed to acquire TechCrunch, the company that owns and operates TechCrunch and its network of websites dedicated to technology news, information and analysis. TechCrunch and its associated properties and conferences will join the AOL Technology Network while retaining their editorial independence, further bolstering AOL’s position as one of the world’s leading providers of high-quality, tech-oriented content. The announcement will be made on stage at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco, CA.

“Michael and his colleagues have made the TechCrunch network a byword for breaking tech news and insight into the innovative world of start-ups, and their reputation for top-class journalism precisely matches AOL’s commitment to delivering the expert content critical to this audience”
.Founded by Michael Arrington, TechCrunch operates a global network of dedicated properties from Europe to Japan, as well as vertically-oriented websites, including MobileCrunch, CrunchGear, TechCrunchIT, GreenTech, TechCrunchTV and CrunchBase. The TechMeme Leaderboard ranks TechCrunch as the No. 1 source of breaking tech news online, followed by AOL’s Engadget.*

“Michael and his colleagues have made the TechCrunch network a byword for breaking tech news and insight into the innovative world of start-ups, and their reputation for top-class journalism precisely matches AOL’s commitment to delivering the expert content critical to this audience,” said Tim Armstrong, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of AOL. “TechCrunch and its team will be an outstanding addition to the high-quality content on the AOL Technology Network, which is now a must-buy for advertisers seeking to associate their brands with leading technology content and its audience.”

Heather Harde, Chief Executive Officer of TechCrunch, said: “TechCrunch and AOL share a motivating passion for quality technology news and information, and we’re delighted about becoming part of the AOL family. This represents a compelling opportunity to extend the TechCrunch brand while complementing the great work of sites like Engadget and Switched. Our contributors, and our audiences, can look to the future with excitement about what we can build when we have the significant resources of AOL behind us.”

Michael Arrington, Founder and Co-Editor of TechCrunch, said: “Tim Armstrong and his team have an exciting vision for the future of AOL as a global leader in creating and delivering world-class content to consumers, be it through original content creation, partnerships or acquisitions. I look forward to working with everyone at AOL as we build on our reputation for independent tech journalism and continue to set the agenda for insight, reviews and collaborative discussion about the future of the technology industry.”

TechCrunch also hosts industry-leading conferences and events, including The Disrupt series, The Crunchies Awards and various meet-ups worldwide. These conferences bring together industry innovators, entrepreneurs and financing sources to exchange ideas, forge new relationships and discuss the current and future industry trends.

“Engagement with thought leaders is as important to AOL as our engagement with our contributors, audiences, publishers and advertisers, and TechCrunch’s conferences and websites will give us a promising, additional springboard to join and amplify these conversations. We’re committed to quality in everything we do at AOL, and look forward to working with Heather, Michael and the TechCrunch team to extend the brand,” said David Eun, President of AOL Media and Studios.

The AOL Technology Network consists of AOL’s tech-oriented properties including Engadget, the Web magazine about everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics; Switched, which covers the intersection of the digital world with entertainment, sports, art, fashion and lifestyle; TUAW, the unofficial Apple weblog; and DownloadSquad, the weblog about downloadable software and other computer subjects. The AOL Technology Network ranks in the top five for tech news according to comScore Media Metrix, August 2010 data, and leads the top five in average time spent and average visits per user.

This acquisition will further AOL’s strategy to become the global leader in sourcing, creating, producing and delivering high-quality, trusted, original content to consumers. TechCrunch will remain headquartered in San Francisco, CA, as a wholly owned AOL unit. Deal terms were not disclosed.

USA, New York, NY & San Francisco, CA

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AOL acquires social software start-up Thing Labs

September 29, 2010 — Fusion DigiNet

AOL has acquired Thing Labs, whose Brizzly family of web-based social software makes it easy and fun for users to create, share, explore and enjoy content. The Brizzly team will play a key role in helping AOL provide consumers with the best possible venues to discover and share content with each other. Over time, AOL expects to integrate aspects of the Brizzly service into its popular Lifestream product, its social aggregator and publisher, and AIM, AOL’s flagship messaging platform. The Brizzly team will join AOL’s Consumer Applications Group, where Thing Labs Founder and Chief Executive Officer Jason Shellen and Christopher Wetherell, Vice President of Product and Engineering, will lead the AIM product suite, including Lifestream.

“AOL is a different company than it was even a year ago. We have to fundamentally change the way we think about the consumer experience and the team at Thing Labs has a vision and a track record of success that we think will help truly transform the messaging space,” said Brad Garlinghouse, President of AOL’s Consumer Applications Group. “The team represents a great combination of vision, product knowledge and experience building innovative social products and we believe their contribution will further complement the exciting work that the Lifestream and AIM teams at AOL are doing.”

Founded in June 2008 and based in San Francisco, CA, Thing Labs creates web-based software that encourages and inspires users to share great content. Its applications include Brizzly, which allows users to view and post updates to Twitter and Facebook; Brizzly Picnic, a group chat site; Brizzly Guide, a site dedicated to explaining social media trending topics in real time, and Brizzly for iPhone. Prior to founding Thing Labs, Shellen and Wetherell were instrumental in creating Google Reader, which allows users to aggregate their most important content.

“AIM, Lifestream and Brizzly are really complementary and we can’t wait to begin exploring how we can combine and enhance them to improve AIM and Lifestream,” said Shellen. “AOL and Thing Labs share a creative vision that the Web should be fun, effortless, inspiring and trusted.”

Lifestream enables users to view status messages and posts from their friends on Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Delicious, Digg, Flickr, YouTube and much more — all in one place, from anywhere. Launched within AIM in 2009 and now also available as a standalone desktop product and on mobile platforms, it is one of the largest social aggregators on the Web, with more than four million unique visitors.*

This acquisition supports the AOL Consumer Applications Group’s mission to redefine the way people share and connect on the Web. Deal terms were not disclosed.

USA, New York, NY & San Francisco, CA

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VideoEgg to acquire Six Apart and create SAY Media

September 27, 2010 — Fusion DigiNet

VideoEgg, a privately held advertising network, has agreed to acquire blogging and conversational media company Six Apart, to form SAY Media.

The new entity combines VideoEgg’s engagement technologies with Six Apart’s social publishing platform to power advertising campaigns that are more conversational and interactive, with the combined company reaching 345 million global unique visitors.

Mena Trott, Six Apart co-founder: “SAY Media continues Six Apart’s mission to make passionate creators successful. Whether on TypePad or another platform, developing a game or an application, the company will empower people to create great content and make money doing it. This acquisition marks a new beginning as we launch a modern media company centered on the creators, the content, and the audiences that are redefining media.”

Link to the Launch Video

USA, San Francisco, CA

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DeNA invests in social gaming developer Astro Ape

September 25, 2010 — Fusion DigiNet

DeNA has invested an undisclosed amount in Astro Ape Studios an iPhone development studio focusing on next generation social gaming and best known for Office Heroes.

DeNA has a wide range of operations including social gaming, e-commerce, mobile phone related services and online advertising business. Its latest quarterly report puts it on track to create $1 billion in revenue this year. DeNA has been steadily increasing their American presence through strategic U.S. investments. They invested in mobile social gaming company, Aurora Feint; made a full acquisition of IceBreaker and most recently bought Mountain View-based developer Gameview Studios

USA, San Mateo, CA & Japan, Tokyo

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