Written by Liz Gannes
Posted Thursday, January 31, 2008 at 2:03 PM PT

Yahoo to Acquire Maven Networks for $160M-$170M

Yahoo is close to acquiring enterprise video startup Maven Networks for between $160 million and $170 million, according to sources familiar with the deal. TechCrunch was first to print word of the acquisition.

Maven provides video hosting and distribution services for Gannett, Hearst, Fox News, Sony BMG, the Financial Times, Univision, TV Guide, and others. Maven CEO Hilmi Ozguc spoke at our NewTeeVee Live conference in November. Ozguc told us in an interview last fall, “We’re growing at a breakneck pace quarter to quarter. Media companies have needs but they don’t have technology experience. It is rocket science, it’s difficult, and that’s what we’re very good at.”

Maven had some $30 million in funding from Prism Venture Partners, Accel Partners, and General Catalyst Partners, having raised a $12 million Series C round in 2006. The company recently expanded its video advertising platform. It has a backend partnership with thePlatform, which is owned by Comcast.

Brightcove CEO Jeremy Allaire was an adviser to Maven before he stepped down to start Brightcove, after which the companies evolved to become quite similar to each other.

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Topic: Money & Power, Startups

Comments (3)

very interesting. they have a good list of customers. It is good to see Yahoo moving past just Yahoo Video in the video arena.

Frank Sinton — 2:26 PM on January 31, 2008 Reply
You think they’ll still be called Yahoo in 6 months?

Bill — 8:16 AM on February 1, 2008 Reply
This is very interesting news that was clearly overshadowed by Microsoft’s bid for Yahoo. The Maven deal underscores the importance of companies that build specialized infrastructure components that solve the problems of delivering enormous amounts of content over IP networks. Automated transcoding, truly scalable encoding, innovative ad-insertion capabilities, and connecting consumer metadata to relevant content are “rocket science” technology solutions that will enable media companies and consumers to really benefit from new media. We discuss this and other related topics at http://www.inlethd.com/blog.

neal page — 12:21 PM on February 5, 2008 Reply

Linkbacks (18)

[...] NewTeeVee is reporting that Yahoo is paying $160-to-$170 million. Share/Send Sphere Print Previous Post [...]

Yahoo buys Maven Networks - GigaOM — 2:31 PM on January 31, 2008
[...] Source: NewTeeVee and TechCrunch] SPHERE IT! Categories: Prism Venture Partners, Maven Networks, Accel Capital, [...]

Yahoo! May Acquire Maven Networks For $150… — 5:47 PM on January 31, 2008
[...] Yahoo is buying a broadband television distribution company called Maven Networks, for $150 million, according to Techcrunch and for between $160 million and $170 million according to NewTeeVee. [...]

VentureBeat » Yahoo buying Maven Networks… — 7:40 PM on January 31, 2008
[...] Yahoo is buying a broadband television distribution company called Maven Networks, for $150 million, according to Techcrunch and for between $160 million and $170 million according to NewTeeVee. [...]

Yahoo buying Maven Networks, to serve online… — 10:09 PM on January 31, 2008
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Yahoo to Acquire Maven Networks | Liz Gannes… — 12:01 AM on February 1, 2008
[...] and advertising platform for big media sites such as Fox, CNET, and CBS Sports. NewTeeVee reports the price to be in between $160 – $170 million. TechCrunch reported the story earlier rumouring [...]

Yahoo Acquires Maven Networks for $160-$170m… — 1:51 AM on February 1, 2008
[...] de Yahoo! y todo son especulaciones. Hay quien afirma que el precio de Maven podría ascender a los 160 o 170 millones de dólares. Tags: compra, maven, publicidad, rumores, vídeo, yahoo! Entradas [...]

Yahoo! compraría Maven Networks por 150… — 3:29 AM on February 1, 2008
[...] Yahoo köper Maven Networks för ca 165 MUSD | NewTeevee [...]

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[...] 8:38 am · Filed under Uncategorized Liz Gannes breaks the news about the Brightcove clone.read more | digg story [?] Share [...]

SEO Nonsense » “Yahoo to Acquire… — 7:38 AM on February 1, 2008
[...] Yahoo to Acquire Maven Networks for Around $150 Million NEWTEEVEE Yahoo is close to acquiring enterprise video startup Maven Networks for between $160 million and $170 million, according to sources familiar with the deal. Maven provides video hosting and distribution services for Gannett, Hearst, Fox News, Sony BMG, the Financial Times, Univision, TV Guide, and others. Maven had some $30 million in funding from Prism Venture Partners, Accel Partners, and General Catalyst Partners, having raised a $12 million Series C round in 2006. The company recently expanded its video advertising platform. It has a backend partnership with thePlatform, which is owned by Comcast. Source> [...]

February 1, 2008 | next media update — 8:49 AM on February 1, 2008
[...] Yahoo just bought is set to buy Maven Networks, which means Microsoft would power online video for Gannett, Hearst, Fox News, Sony BMG, the [...]

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Yahoo to Acquire Maven Networks for $160M… — 7:04 PM on February 1, 2008
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On Microsoft-Yahoo deal (Part 1) : unitedBIT — 2:02 PM on February 4, 2008
[...] absent from the list is Maven Networks, a previously named partner of thePlatform that is currently tied up in acquisition negotiations with Yahoo, which is currently tied up in acquisition negotiations of its own with Microsoft. Maven offers a [...]

thePlatform (Rightfully) Brags about its… — 9:00 PM on February 5, 2008
[...] coaster ride for online video, as content and platforms continue to explode. The acquisition of Maven Networks, the success of ABC’s online VOD service, ON-networks, Apple VOD, as well as the [...]

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Yahoo Confirms Maven Acquisition «… — 8:17 AM on February 12, 2008
[...] to say that it will be using its own Yahoo player for CBS content, not the new CBS player. Yahoo acquired Maven Networks in January, and will use that technology to power video and [...]

CBS Audience Network Adds Yahoo « NewTeeVee — 2:21 PM on June 4, 2008