Vertical Strategy Comcast formed Comcast Interactive Media (CIM) in 2005 to develop and grow the Company’s Internet businesses, including the Comcast.net portal. Comcast owns and operates various entertainment, shopping, movie, video, sports, travel and gaming sites. Some of Comcast’s most popular online properties are Comcast.net, Fancast.com, Ziddio, and Gameinvasion.net. We will take a look at
Introduction Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator in the United States and one of the leading communications and entertainment companies in the world focusing on broadband communications and content. Comcast’s operations can be broadly categorized into three segments: * Cable which includes cable systems, video, regional sports and news networks, Internet and phone services,
SM: Okay, so August Capital funded Series B and you came in after Series C? JH: No, actually I came in 2005, after Doll Capital had done a series D, and put in another $9M. SM: How far along was the company when you arrived? JH: We had 60-70 people, and about 13,000 customers. SM:
Conclusion Viacom is a formidable force in the youth entertainment segment, especially in music and gaming, particularly focused on teens and young adults. Its kids focused offerings are also significant, although perhaps not quite at the level of Disney. Viacom has entered in an agreement with Yahoo! for a multi-year sponsored search and contextual ads
Acquisition Targets In the past one year, Viacom has acquired Quizilla, Harmonix Music Systems, Atom Entertainment, Xfire, and Y2M: Youth Media & Marketing Networks. These acquisitions are strategic and fit well into the Company’s overall theme of youth focused entertainment. Viacom, through its Nick brand, is popular among the kids. Presumably, the Company would acquire
Web 3.0 Framework discussion Below is a quick overview of the Web 3.0 framework for the Viacom sites. We have not gone into the details of all the properties, but you can review the Web 3.0 section of this site for detailed discussions on some of the vertical categories, especially Online Music, a Viacom mainstay.
Online Video is a clear growth market, and many parts of the ecosystem are benefiting as a result. I have done a series called Online Video Beneficiaries, which you can catch up on here: * Online Video Beneficiaries: Introduction * Online Video Beneficiaries: Polycom * Online Video Beneficiaries: Cisco * Online Video Beneficiaries: 3Com?
Acquisition Targets NYT has been making small investments and acquisitions in the online space for the past few years, tipping its toes into the online waters. The Company’s biggest acquisition in this space has been About.com in March 2005, which has been paying off handsomely. The Company has partnered with Monster which now powers the