Status Elevation of Content

Dean Takahashi provides an analysis of Elevation Partners’ first deal : A holding company to accumulate game producers.

Brings to mind the following questions on Elevation’s portfolio strategy:

Does Elevation at some point also assemble a portfolio of film studios a la Pixar, Dreamworks, etc.?

Would they take over old media companies like Knight Ridder, Hearst Media, Primedia, etc. and infuse life into them with New Media / Web 2.0 approaches?

Media and Content are going through tremendous discontinuities at the moment. It would be very interesting to see if and how old media responds, and whether vehicles like Private Equity and Elevation will be called upon to the rescue!

In my assessment, old media is going to need a big hand from technologists to reinvent themselves, and that will not only be via Murdoch-style acquisitions. Their core properties will need to be re-thought, re-cast with technology leverage, re-invented with new business models and new deal-making styles.

This is definitely one of the best private equity / tech LBO opportunities out there, and Elevation is well-positioned to find some gold.