Verizon Said to Approach AOL About Possible Takeover

#1

Post by slckfielder08 » Tue, Jan 06, 2015, 12:22 AM UTC

Verizon Said to Approach AOL About Possible Takeover
bloomberg.com

Re: Verizon Said to Approach AOL About Possible Takeover

#2

Post by nemothekid » Tue, Jan 06, 2015, 2:01 AM UTC

So Verizon is becoming a content company as well, just like Comcast.

Re: Verizon Said to Approach AOL About Possible Takeover

#3

Post by dpifke » Tue, Jan 06, 2015, 2:59 AM UTC

nemothekid wrote: post #2

So Verizon is becoming a content company as well, just like Comcast.

...or they see the business of folks not bothering to cancel their AOL dialup account as complementary to folks not bothering to cancel their landline POTS.

Re: Verizon Said to Approach AOL About Possible Takeover

#4

Post by twelvedigits » Tue, Jan 06, 2015, 3:12 AM UTC

nemothekid wrote: post #2

So Verizon is becoming a content company as well, just like Comcast.

AOL has built up a formidable arsenal of video ad tech in recent years. Surely Verizon is more interested in that rather than whatever clicky content AOL is shipping these days.

Re: Verizon Said to Approach AOL About Possible Takeover

#5

Post by sinemetu11 » Tue, Jan 06, 2015, 3:14 AM UTC

"Verizon hasn’t made a formal proposal to AOL, and no agreement is imminent, said the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private."

I'm calling bullshit.

Re: Verizon Said to Approach AOL About Possible Takeover

#6

Post by nullc » Tue, Jan 06, 2015, 4:00 AM UTC

Wasn't there previously a famous takeover of a media company by a communications company that didn't go so well?

Re: Verizon Said to Approach AOL About Possible Takeover

#7

Post by bane » Tue, Jan 06, 2015, 4:08 AM UTC

Well they are more or less right down the road from each other.

Re: Verizon Said to Approach AOL About Possible Takeover

#8

Post by wmf » Tue, Jan 06, 2015, 4:13 AM UTC

dpifke wrote: post #3

nemothekid wrote: post #2

So Verizon is becoming a content company as well, just like Comcast.

...or they see the business of folks not bothering to cancel their AOL dialup account as complementary to folks not bothering to cancel their landline POTS.

And now you can combine them onto one AOLrizon bill!

Re: Verizon Said to Approach AOL About Possible Takeover

#9

Post by eli » Tue, Jan 06, 2015, 4:30 AM UTC

sinemetu11 wrote: post #5

"Verizon hasn’t made a formal proposal to AOL, and no agreement is imminent, said the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private." I'm calling bullshit.

The leak and its timing is curious, but Bloomberg didn't invent this story. It's coming from one of those companies.

Re: Verizon Said to Approach AOL About Possible Takeover

#10

Post by doughj3 » Tue, Jan 06, 2015, 4:36 AM UTC

nullc wrote: post #6

Wasn't there previously a famous takeover of a media company by a communications company that didn't go so well?

You mean this one?[1]

I think it worked out pretty well for them.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acquisition_of_NBC_Universal_by...