iVillage’s Prospects

iVillage is on the blocks for about $560-$700 Million. For those who have not tracked the company, it is a women’s portal that was amongst the first to attack a segmented audience with a “content” business model. Here are the historical financials:

2004 was the first year they made a profit of $2.8 Million on $70 Million revenue. Between 1995 and 2003, they lost $470 Million.

Rupert Murdoch or Barry Diller will probably buy the company, although there are several other potential suiters. iVillage, if it had started today, would have probably made significantly different decisions and exhibited a much better performance track-record than it has shown. However, it is one of the bubble-era companies that survived, and that in itself is worthy of some credit.