Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before: CNET Could Be Next To Get Bought

from the broken-clocks-and-broken-records dept

Following Google's purchase of DoubleClick, there's been a lot of talk about further deals in the internet advertising space. So far, Yahoo has made a purchase, while Microsoft is said to be interested, but has yet to bite. While all of the speculation has driven up shares of online advertising firms, it's also been good for investment banks, which love to see this kind of activity, whether it's in their clients' best interest or not. So now analysts are coming out with all kinds of recommendations, as banks look to keep the internet M&A momentum alive. Although it has nothing to do with online advertising, an analyst at Banc of America is tossing out the idea that CNET could be the next to be acquired at a healthy premium, if one were to use the same valuation metrics as the DoubleClick deal. Of course, the line that CNET is about to be acquired is one of the longest-running rumors there is, despite the fact that no company has publicly shown any interest in buying it. Also, to make a comparison between it and DoubleClick on a valuation basis is simply sloppy, relativistic reasoning. Along with yesterday's (nonsensical) rumor that Google could be a Dow Jones suitor, it's become acceptable to throw out out any combination of companies (particularly if one is Google or Yahoo) and argue for a tie-up, even if it doesn't make much sense.
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  • identicon
    Matt, 3 May 2007 @ 11:37am

    i would be very surprised if Google tried to acquire the Dow.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Bryan, 3 May 2007 @ 11:55am

    I have two words for this argument. Ebay and Skype

    When it comes to internet companies I think pretty much anything is on the table.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Brandon Watts, 3 May 2007 @ 1:19pm

    Bryan is right. Even companies that don't immediately appear to be a match aren't exempt from possible acquisition talks, however, the idea of CNET being acquired by anybody seems far-fetched since the topic has already been discussed to death.

    If and when CNET is actually acquired, all of us will probably be in denial and think that it's still some sort of rumor.

    Brandon Watts
    Criteo Evangelist

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Sanguine Dream, 3 May 2007 @ 1:21pm

    Well what do you expect?


    Along with yesterday's (nonsensical) rumor that Google could be a Dow Jones suitor, it's become acceptable to throw out out any combination of companies (particularly if one is Google or Yahoo) and argue for a tie-up, even if it doesn't make much sense.


    When your livleyhood is based on specualtion, rumor, and guessing what do you expect from them?

    I personally don't see CNET being bought anytime soon. And frankly if it was bought by one of the large companies (MS, Google, Apple....) then I think a lot of it's (at least to me) neutral appeal would be lost. Imagine what kind of scores the future generations of iPods would get if the site was owned by Apple.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Daniel, 3 May 2007 @ 2:23pm

    Advertising war

    Why CNET? Google, Yahoo and Microsoft are after advertsing company while CNET is content provider/publisher. Besides that there are plenty promising advertising startups looking for highest bidder - Federated Media, Adify, aQuantive, ValueClick etc.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 3 May 2007 @ 9:57pm

    honestly

    I'm getting sick and tired of the rumor mongering.

    Next thing you know we'll be hearing rumors of Google buying Microsoft.

    If that were the case would Google's "do no evil" business method be retroactivly applied to MS or would the "evil incarnate" corrupt google?

    food for thought.

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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