»
NBC Universal announced today that it will acquire iVillage for about $600 million, or $8.50 per share, writes Mediapost. Thanks to the acquisition, NBC U expects to grow its digital revenues to approximately $200 million in ‘06, and expects a 20 percent growth rate. iVillage revenues grew 20 percent in 2005 over 2004, excluding acquisitions.
iVillage, with over 14 million unique users according to comScore, offers proprietary content and a user base that commands premium advertising pricing, MarketingVox writes.
“iVillage immediately gives us scale and a profitable, established platform to expand our digital efforts, especially in the rapidly growing areas of health and women’s interests,” said Beth Comstock, President, NBC Universal Digital Media and Market Development, in a statement.
“This is all about creating important new intersections between community, content and commerce. We envision connecting more deeply online, on mobile and on demand with key consumers throughout their various life stages…. We are also looking to create a more customized consumer healthcare experience, working in association with GE Healthcare.”
Upon completion of the transaction, the iVillage team will report directly to Comstock and will remain in New York.
All sectors of the media business will suffer from the weakened economy in 2008 and 2009, with a slump in local advertising particularly hurting newspapers and local TV, according to a new projection from Goldman Sachs.
Broadcast nets will experience…
The New York Times is shuttering its International Herald Tribune site; NYTimes.com will soon host the international news normally reserved for its sister website.
The move is not about cost savings, but rather about growth, NYTimes.com general manager Vivian Schiller…
Unilever’s Vaseline set forth on an unusual research project in a small town in Alaska. Setting up a storefront, the company began giving away free bottles of lotion and asking recipients to name the person who had recommended they come…
Meet the Press, the show hosted by Tim Russert for 17 years before his death last June, is beginning to slip in ratings.
Last month, CBS’s Face the Nation pulled ahead of Meet the Press for the first time in two…
Bloggers collectively create nearly one million blog posts each day, and half of bloggers believe blogs will be a primary source of news and entertainment in the next five years, according to Technorati’s 2008 State of the Blogosphere Report, MarketingCharts writes.…
Wal-Mart and Costco reported same-store gains in September, with sales rising 2.4% and 9% respectively. Sales at Target stores open at least a year fell 3%, writes Retailer Daily.
Below, fiscal results from the discount retail giants:
Sales of food and…
