Disney Buys Maker Studios, YouTube Video Supplier

Disney Buys Maker Studios, Video Supplier for YouTube - NYTimes.com: " . . . the deal validates venture-style investments in the content business. Maker, founded in 2009, has received more than $70 million in funding from a large number of investors, including Time Warner Investments, Elizabeth Murdoch, Greycroft Partners and Ynon Kreiz, who is Maker’s chief executive. Mr. Kreiz will continue to run Maker, which will notably not become part of Disney’s struggling web and video game division. Instead, the online video company, based in Culver City, Calif., will answer to James A. Rasulo, Disney’s chief financial officer. “We’re doing that because the best value for Maker is to serve all of our business units,” Mr. Mayer said .... Disney is not the only Hollywood company that sees promise in YouTube-based channel operators. DreamWorks Animation, for instance, recently bought AwesomenessTV, which focuses on teenagers, in a deal worth up to $117 million. A year ago, AwesomenessTV had about 400,000 subscribers and 80.6 million video views. Now it has more than 1.2 million subscribers and 283 million video views." (read more at link above)

more news below

Follow @expriorg