Buyout

Google reportedly buying streaming video platform Twitch for $1 billion

Cody Lee ∙ July 24, 2014

Google has reportedly reached an agreement to acquire Twitch for $1 billion. After several months of rumors that the search giant was courting the streaming video platform, VentureBeat says that it has confirmed with several sources that it's a done deal.

For those unfamiliar with the service, Twitch is a San Francisco-based company that enables people to broadcast video game sessions from their consoles, computers, and as of March, mobile devices. It also distributes content from CBS Interactive partners...

Apple has acquired 5 companies since April, 29 in past nine months

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

One of the more interesting tidbits from today's earnings call was a revelation about Apple's recent acquisitions. Tim Cook said the company has purchased 5 companies since the end of the March quarter, and a total of 29 companies during the past 9 months.

Apparently these numbers do not include the Beats Electronics deal—Apple's largest acquisition to date—because it has not completely finalized yet, and isn't expected to until later this quarter. So who are the other companies? These are the ones we know about...

Sharp in talks with Apple to regain control of iPhone panel plant

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

Sharp is looking to regain control of its Kameyama plant back from Apple. Nikkei is reporting this afternoon that the company has proposed a deal to the Cupertino firm worth nearly $300 million, in an effort to diversify its customer base.

The Kameyama Plant No. 1 began operations in 2004 as a facility for manufacturing large panels for flat-screen TVs. But after consecutive years of profit losses, it called on Apple to help foot the bill to transition the plant to smaller panels...

Google-owned Nest acquires Dropcam for $555 million

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

Smart thermostat-maker Nest announced on Friday that it has reached an agreement to acquire Dropcam. The company, which itself was purchased by Google earlier this year, says that the all-cash deal is worth a hefty $555 million.

For those unfamiliar with Dropcam, it's behind the popular line of Internet-connected home monitoring cameras. Major selling points for the cameras include easy setup, 2-way audio and remote streaming via any PC or mobile device...

Apple partner OpenTable to be acquired by Priceline for $2.6 billion

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 19, 2019

Priceline has announced today that it has reached an agreement to acquire online restaurant reservation service and Apple content partner OpenTable. The travel site will be doling out $103 per share in the all cash transaction, which is said to be worth $2.6 billion.

For those unfamiliar with it, OpenTable facilitates restaurant reservations through its website and mobile apps. Apple has long been a proponent of the service, which it reaffirmed in 2012 by integrating it into its digital assistant Siri, as part of the year's iOS 6 update...

Bloomberg: T-Mobile and Sprint close to finalizing buyout deal

Cody Lee ∙ June 4, 2014

Bloomberg is reporting this afternoon that Sprint and T-Mobile are getting very close to reaching a deal for acquisition. The outlet says that the purchase, if agreed upon, will be made in about 50% stock and 50% cash, but there's no word yet on price.

Sprint has been rumored to be interested in T-Mobile for months now. The carrier, which was recently taken over by Japan's SoftBank, has been impressed with the 'uncarrier' movement, and a buyout will make it more of a threat to AT&T and Verizon...

Tim Cook interviews offer more details on Beats acquisition

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 16, 2016

In addition to giving comments for the press release and writing a memo to employees, Tim Cook apparently invited a handful of high profile journalists to Apple's Cupertino headquarters today to talk about the just-announced Beats acquisition.

Cook spoke with reporters from the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Financial Times and other publications this afternoon on the Beats buyout. And we've rounded up some of the more interesting tidbits from each interview, below...

Billboard: Apple-Beats deal delayed due to valuation, role uncertainties

Cody Lee ∙ May 24, 2014

Billboard is out with a new report this weekend, claiming that it's learned why the Apple-Beats acquisition has not been announced yet. Citing sources familiar with the matter, the outlet says that there are at least 5 things holding up the deal.

First, the buyout is 'complicated.' With this being Apple's largest purchase ever, the folks in Cupertino want to make sure they cross every t and dot every i. And second, the iPad-maker was nowhere near ready for details of the negotiations to leak...

New report says Apple-Beats deal was close to falling apart, but is still on

Cody Lee ∙ May 22, 2014

It's been two weeks since we first received word that Apple was looking to acquire Beats Electronics, and we still haven't heard a peep about the sale from either company. Some folks have taken the silence as a sign talks had broken down, but a new report says that's not the case.

According to TechCrunch, sources with knowledge of the deal say that Apple's planned multi-billion dollar acquisition of headphone maker Beats will go through. The outlet does note, however, that negotiations have been bumpy and close to falling apart on multiple occasions...

AT&T announces acquisition of DirecTV for close to $50 billion

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

As expected, AT&T has announced today that it has reached a deal to acquire satellite TV heavyweight DirecTV. The buyout will come in the form of a stock-and-cash transaction—$95 per share based on AT&T's Friday closing price—worth in upwards of $50 billion.

Between DirecTV’s satellite business and AT&T’s U-verse arm, the move results in a combined 26 million TV subscribers. That essentially makes AT&T the number one pay-TV provider, second if the long-rumored Comcast/Time Warner Cable deal ever goes through...

Apple’s Beats acquisition may not be finalized until next week

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 16, 2016

Following the flurry of reports late last week regarding Apple's plan to acquire Beats Electronics, a lot of folks expected the iPad-maker to comment on the matter after the long weekend. But Monday came, and went, without a single word from Cupertino.

As it turns out, that may be because it isn't a done deal yet. Citing people familiar with the transaction, Recode's Peter Kafka is reporting that Apple's Beats acquisition is taking longer than originally expected, and it may not be finalized until next week...