Verizon to Acquire AOL For $4.4 Billion

[engine]

We've often wondered who will acquire AOL. Well, now we know, it'll be Verizon.

US telecommunications giant Verizon has agreed to buy AOL in a deal worth $4.4bn (£2.8bn), the company has announced. Verizon to Acquire AOL For $4.4 Billion [bbc.co.uk]

[EditorialGuy]

Advertising Age says "ad-tech, not content, is king in the Verizon-AOL deal."

[adage.com...]

[incrediBILL]

I think they're overpaying unless there's something there I'm missing.

These over inflated prices for everything was exactly the writing on the wall the last time the internet bubble burst as it's all just imaginary money based on jacked up stock prices that have no actual value.

Tulips anyone?

[LifeinAsia]

I think they're overpaying unless there's something there I'm missing.

I think the premium is for AOL's stellar customer service department. ;)

[thomcraver]

Remember, it's not just AOL. It's TechCrunch, Huffington Post and a bunch of other sites worth quite a bit in ad revenue.

Sadly, now remember that it's Verizon who bought it and think of what's coming to our phones and devices...

[weeks]

If someone reads a worthwhile analysis of this deal, please post it here. I think it will be a while in coming, however. Everything I read is mostly a list of what AOL has that Verizon is getting.

The sum of the parts is in no way worth billions on the open market, even in total. There has got to be something here that Verizon can use that is easier and faster to buy than to build. But I do not see it. I've seen this being compared to Comcast buying NBC-Universal. That's a <cough> bit of a reach.

[weeks]

Ah, here's something fun on this:
[ritholtz.com...]

[thomcraver]

"So what Verizon is buying here is an ad network."

Yup. That about sums it up.

[weeks]

Seems so, Mr. Craver:
[arstechnica.com...]