Microsoft To Acquire Ustream.tv For $50 Million?
Duncan Riley
43 comments »
Ustream.tv is said to be in advanced talks with Microsoft to be acquired for $50 million, according to a report from Valleywag. Given it’s very early morning as the post goes live we are unable to put calls in to confirm the deal, but might have more later.
Ustream.tv is one of the first wave of live streaming service providers that includes companies such as Justin.tv, Blogtv and Mogulus. Ustream.tv has offered a complete package of streaming and post show videos, and has a strong reputation as a reliable provider of live shows and events. The company announced a deal January 29 to stream the Republican convention, and has also featured other events including shows with Republican Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee and Chuck Norris. Ustream.tv is also the home of major league live streamers including Chris Pirillo, and also scored a viral win with Walrus TV.
The acquisition, if true, does seem a little strange timing wise given Microsoft’s takeover offer for Yahoo, however Valleywag suggests it’s a pre-emptive pre-Series A deal that will allow Microsoft to showcase Silverlight to a broader audience.
The time also seems strange because Yahoo Live just launched as well. So if Microsoft is trying to buy Yahoo, why would then need Ustream?
Maybe they decided Ustream could put more use to the 44 billion…
Clintus
I didn’t throw Yahoo Live in the mix due to the coverage we’ve already given it, that and I don’t think Microsoft would have seen Yahoo Live coming. If it’s near deal stage I’m betting that talks would have been going at least weeks, possibly a couple of months, so it’s all pre- Yahoo Live. Given Yahoo Live’s lack of features I think Ustream.tv would be the better buy tech wise, but certainly Yahoo Live should throw at least a small spanner in the discussions.
It can be a grt strategy to usurp small promising businesses and grow them with deep pockets and some precise marketing into blockbuster cash cows.
http://tekno-world.blogspot.com
Pffft. Strange stuff seeing that Microsoft might be taking over Y! Live and would get a considerably better deal off that.
@Shoe - I could use not even a sliver of a fraction of that 44 billion!
Seems like a good acquisition to me. Could make some mainstream use of Silverlight, and maybe get an immediate audience for Y!Live
Why have one if they can scoop up 2 major players in a relatively short time span. Sounds like a sweet move to me.
Techcrunch reporters amaze me with their disinformation strategy. Silverlight is not for live streaming. Why is it so hard to check some simple fact? Because it’s a blog and not a news site…Pphphphphph
Odd as well as Yahoo! is said (by you) to be buying Maven Networks for $150 mil.
So the combined Microhoo company, will own Maven and Upstream.
Interesting.
Who buys Roo and Brightcove?
Since Newscorp owns a decent stake in Roo (RGRP.ob) I would think Roo to them.
Time Warner (TWX)?
New York Times?
DanDan #9
Seriously though, bugger off, you’re either illiterate, dumb, or both, given your comment.
I was quoting Valleywag on that, as is more than clear in the paragraph. That I can be held accountable for their take is amusing, Owen will probably laugh
I stream, you stream, we all stream on Yahoostream!
Ok..that hurt my brain…need my morning coffee now.
Personally thought Youtube would get them first…
If it’s near deal stage I’m betting that talks would have been going at least weeks, possibly a couple of months, so it’s all pre- Yahoo Live.
That is cool
http://www.jhatak.com/Buckler/BucklerHomePage.htm
(The Light Browser)
Given UStream’s solid platform and increasing success, I’m actually surprised they haven’t been acquired already. Great move by Microsoft.
Note to Microsoft: Instead of buying Yahoo, buy the best-of-breed solid startups and create a network of great apps and services. You finally achieve your goal of being a web services powerhouse, and you get the best of Yahoo-like properties (even better) without the cultural headache. You’ll also do it for a lot less than $44 Billion.
Consider it….unless its the users you want not the technology
Wow I remember the early days when ustream launched with their liverazzi channel and most of the time there were less than 10 people in the chat room, justin.tv was getting all the mainstream press attention and ustream didn’t seem to be attracting many broadcasters or viewers. I guess they have really turned it around now.
@11
Editors calling their readers illiterate. Nice touch.
Thanks for the broken link to my post, appreciate it. Maybe you’re just bitter that you got scooped on this AND Yahoo Live?
dude….looks like Microsoft is on fire….they are really trying buying everything on web (except for google)
bookmarked @ http://livbit.com
Duncan, if you’re reporting on Valleywag stories now you’ve hit a bold new level of uselessness. FAIL
Rereading that, it comes across much harsher than I meant it. All in good fun, but GIVE A GUY A LINK. [channeling Jason Calacanis there]
TC is turning into a Web 2.0 Tabloid site.
You can’t confirm the rumor but still post it? No wonder Mike likes making appearances on FOX channels. Fits right in with their style of “news”.
If this rumor turns out being true, then it will be a hefty payday for Brad and the gang at UStream. People often ask why I chose Justin.TV over UStream (where I first caught the live video bug), Mogulus and all the other lifecasting platforms I’ve tested.
It’s simple: Broader reach. Justin.TV has excelled at building not only a premium social video experience, but also great social networking features as well. They also have, IMO, the best live video experience of any platform.
600,000 viewers to date on Justin.TV is a decent number for a guy who spends his time intimately engaging his audience, have engaging conversations about the state of our society and finding new and creative ways to leverage this emerging space for other meaningful uses.
Overall, I can say that the opportunity all of these platforms offer is priceless. Most people only seem to recognize the silly moments of lifecasting, such as women exploiting their audience for money, having sex on camera, etc., but the real opportunity here is better than anyone could have ever expected.
Having the world at our front door with live video is a relevant and exciting development in the history of telecommunications. Take advantage of it.
Why would Microsoft negotiate with Ustream before knowing anything about the Yahoo acquisition which just yesterday launched Yahoo Live is beyond my understanding… plus of course the source valleywag, let’s just say not the most credible out there…
I saw this article in Valleywag: http://valleywag.com/354140/us.....-microsoft.
TechCrunch does a better job of reporting, though.
DanDan maybe you should be checking your facts. According to this interview live streaming with Silverlight is possible http://www.beet.tv/2007/04/microsoft_silve.html
Instead of buying Yahoo, buy the best-of-breed solid startups and create a network of great apps and services.
For those folks that are asking why buy UStream if Yahoo has Live.
First. MS is big, so the group that wants UStream might be different than the group that wants Yahoo!.
Second. Yahoo! isn’t a done deal and it could take a year for the deal to close. MS may just want something right here, right now. Look at Yahoo… they bought TWO email companies OddPost and Zimbra when on each case they had a pretty good product and arguably are able to build those systems too.
It seems to me that somehow this will limit or wind up costing users. To make it fit into Microsofts view of the world. How about us small guys who stream on Ustream.tv now.
Please, don’t let that deal happen…
Otherwise it will be a proprietary microsoft product again, and the linux community will be left out again, if they are going to use Silverlight. Even tho
Novell is going to make “Moonlight” it will be not 100% compatible with Silverlight, according to the last rumours about that…..
If ustream gets taken over by Microsoft, then the linux streamers will have to look elswhere…
Why would Ustream sell out so cheap? I always thought they were double or triple that
Yeah there’s some big shopping going on right now. What does that tell you? Usually, that there’s something behind it. Another online boom coming? Winners and losers? IMO The “pie” has grown like crazy recently through new discoveries and new implications of 2.0 and I guess the big fishies are trying to snap up as much real estate as they can.
nothing about this seems true
what happend, the yahoo deal did not work out
Ustream at $50 million. Overpriced. I can get two college kids and hack a backend. Then grab a UI jock and finish this product in 3 months.
They don’t have that big of a brand and their technology isn’t differentiated. Microsoft? what are you thinking?
Re: Duncan Riley’s reply:
>> Duncan Riley
>> February 8th, 2008 at 7:07 am
>>
>> DanDan #9
>> I was quoting Valleywag on that, as is more than clear in the paragraph. That I can be held accountable for their take is amusing, Owen will probably laugh Seriously though, bugger off, you’re either illiterate, dumb, or both, given your comment.
I can’t believe a blogger will insult his own readers on his own blog [assuming that it WAS Duncan Riley and not somebody masquerading]. In any case, I expect bloggers to be respectful of their audience, just like actual reporters and journalists.
So as of now, I just decided to remove TechCrunch from all my RSS feeds.
Good riddance. I will not be checking back for replies to this comment.
I can get all the news from other blogging and news sites anyway. And respectable bloggers like Om Malik and John Battelle have always treated readers with respect, even when readers expressed criticism or a different point of view.
Good Luck Ustream Team! Laugh at the haters and enjoy your hard work!
Keep it up.
Buckler Browser
http://www.jhatak.com/buckler/.....rSetup.zip
this “rumor” didn’t seem to incite any interest, what will ustream try now?