acquisitions

Ticketmaster filed a 10-Q quarterly report yesterday. Now that it is a standalone company, it's easier to go through its financial performance than when it was part of IAC. And we're better able to see what companies like Live Nation are eager to capture for themselves.

Bug Music, which today announced it has secured a $200 million credit facility led by JP Morgan, is reportedly in talks with Chrysalis Group.

I had this odd experience the other day. A gentleman sets an appointment to meet with me in my small business and make a presentation about his company can provide a no-obligation evaluation and present proposals for reducing taxes, streamlining the sales process, helping with business development and acquisitions, etc. Sounds good, right?

In this USA Today article about Rhapsody's new plan of attack for its subscription service, JupiterResearch's David Card predicts subscription revenue will grow 20% per year for the next five years, and Rhapsody will still be the #1 service. That would put consumer spending at $600 million in 2012.

Last week I was talking with Marcus about the whole Yahoo! / Microsoft non-deal. We came to the conclusion that Yahoo! was asking for an unjustifiable price because they had realized that Yahoo! does not have a future. The sales price was all they were ever going to get.

Citing improved digital sales and the integration of BMG Music Publishing and Sanctuary, Vivendi announced Universal Music Group's Q1 2008 earnings today.

News Corp buys MySpace. AOL buys Bebo. Microsoft takes a stake in Facebook. Microsoft is taking a run at Yahoo, Google makes a play as well. Yahoo was rumored to taking a run at AOL. News Corp bought Wall Street Journal. Google bought YouTube and the flurry of acquisitions [...]

Vivendi announced its 2007 earnings last week (download PDF of earnings release). Yeah, I'm a bit late on this one. EBITA dropped 16.1% (12.9% at constant currency). Digital sales increased 51% (at constant currency).

Vivendi, parent company of Universal Music Group, released its earnings for fiscal 2007 today. (Download PDF of full press release here.)

UMG's revenues dipped 1.7% to €4.87 billion for the year and dropped 3.1% to €1.6 billion in Q4. Excluding revenue from acquisitions (BMG Music Publishing and Sanctuary) revenues were down 7.2% for the year 10.2% in Q4.

Everybody’s a fanboy about something. I personally have a soft spot in my head for Harbor Freight, purveyors of tools and other useful goods manufactured to India and China’s most rigorous standards.

There’s never a time I haven’t visited that I haven’t found something I needed. 9-LED flashlight? Check. 3-HP bench grinder? Yup.