CBS has acquired CNet and all its brands for a total of US$1.8 billion. From a domain name perspective, CNet is the owner of several brilliant domain names, including news.com and downloads.com.
Other brands and domain names owned by CNet include BNet (business), GameSpot (video games), TV.com (television), and CHOW (cooking).
It is obvious that news.com will fit within CBSâs operations, and it will be interesting to see whether it stays as a domain name for technology news. My guess is CBS will make better use of the domain name by converting it to a more generic news website.
The New York Times has analysed the purchase, saying that both brands have been laggards of late. For CNet, the report says it has some good technology and brands, but it is growing slowly. And CBS is also a company with sluggish growth, however the report notes âon a conference call with investors Thursday morning, CBS said that its own Internet properties â like Sportsline and the Web site for the Grammy Awards â are actually growing faster than CNet is.â
Meanwhile The Washington Post notes while CNet âoperates a number of sites focusing on gaming, music, entertainment, food and parenting. It might best be known for its software-download service and its well-regarded reviews of technology products. It has a substantial presence in China, which made it attractive to CBS.â
CBS has also been acquiring a number of smaller websites over the last twelve months such as last.fm, so it has been active in acquiring new properties.
To read more on the CBS takeover of CNet, see the following news stories:
- CNetâs Allure for CBS: Both Are Laggards
bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/15/why-cbs-is-the-ideal-buyer-for-cnet-they-are-both-laggards
- CBS Turns Its Eye to the Web, Landing Network of Tech Sites
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content//article/2008/05/15/AR2008051501003.html
- CBS in Deal to Buy CNet to Increase Online Ads