According to latest reports Yahoo is in talks to purchase a controlling stake in video website Dailymotion. The information has been received from people familiar with the matter. If this is true, it would be the first acquisition that Yahoo makes under the leadership of Marissa Mayer, who took the reigns as CEO after coming over from Google. Yahoo is reportedly going to purchase a 75% stake in Dailymotion, a site supposedly worth around $300 million. Though the deal hasn’t been finalized yet, Yahoo might be able to purchase the entire site in the future. Naturally, both Yahoo and Dailymotion have not commented on the status, or even existence, of this deal.
The acquisition is interesting in a number of ways. Google became the undisputed king of online video when it acquired YouTube. Dailymotion is similar to YouTube but a lot smaller in size. Given Yahoo’s resources and manpower, the site can definitely grow up in the next couple of years to become a true competitor to YouTube. This is going to be a gamble on Yahoo’s part, as YouTube is far too established to be dethroned so easily. Whatever the case maybe, as it stands, it is evident that Yahoo wants to become a player in the web video niche.