Maker Studios acquires Blip
The digital media company Maker Studios has acquired Blip, a company best known for its technology for distributing original Web series.
The Culver City studio behind such YouTube personalities as Lloyd Ahlquist (EpicLLOYD) and Peter Shukoff (Nice Peter), the creators of “Epic Rap Battles of History”; Kassem G and the Shaytards will seek to take advantage of Blip’s mobile and Web technology.
Blip’s software pushes Web content to smartphones, tablets and Microsoft’s Xbox game console. It also makes a software used by video creators. Its partners include Rooster Teeth and My Damn Channel.
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“Blip’s content partnerships and technology platforms are a great complement to Maker,” Maker Studios Executive Chairman Ynon Kreiz said in a statement.
Members of Blip’s executive team will assume new roles at Maker. Chief Financial Officer Max Smith will assume the same role at Maker and Jason Krebs, Blip’s president of sales and marketing, will lead the studio’s sales efforts. Blip’s chief technical officer, Jeff O’Connell, will join as senior vice president of technology. Blip Chief Executive Kelly Day will remain as an advisor.
The companies announced an agreement in principle recently, after reports of a likely pairing began circulating. Deal terms were not disclosed, although AllThingsD reported the price tag to be less than $10 million.
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Maker raised $36 million late last year in a financing round led by Time Warner Investments. At the time, it said it would use the capital to continue growing its operations. The digital studio attracts more than 4 billion online views a month through its network of 60,000 YouTube channels.
“For our production partners, this represents a great opportunity to tap into Maker’s unparalleled resources,” Day said in a statement.
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