Huffington Post Sells for $315m Social Media Revenue

 blogs, Online Communities, revenue, social media, social networks  Add comments
Feb 222011
 

I often write on social media revenue – how social media sites like blogs and forums and social networks monetize. One way is pretty simple – sell it! The Huffington Post just sold for $315m to AOL (America Online). How do you think AOL will make their money back from this blog?

A year ago – Jan 2010 – I wrote about a valuation for Huffington Post and TechCrunch:

Huffington Post and TechCrunch both have high valuations ($100m+). Yes, Virginia, social media and blogs CAN make money. Will 2010 see the further rise of social media proprietors?

The comments were not always agreeing with these valuations – much too high, they cried!

Well, the Huff as we like to call it, sold a couple of weeks ago for $315m to AOL.

Huffington Post sold to AOL for $315m

Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington sells her site to AOL for $315m in deal branded ’1+1 = 11′

Arianna HuffingtonHuffington Post co-founder Arianna Huffington is to sell the website to AOL for $315m and newly created role as AOL’s editor in chief. Photograph: Louis Lanzano/APThe Huffington Post, the ground-breaking online news and opinion site founded by Arianna Huffington on a shoestring budget, is to be bought for $315m by AOL in a move sure to stun new media sceptics and believers alike.

(The Guardian)

I just report the facts. Comment away!

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  • http://twitter.com/searchtempo/status/39847358606868480 John Hacking

    Huffington Post Sells for $315m Social Media Revenue:

    I often write on social media revenue – how social… http://bit.ly/h4qqkk

  • http://twitter.com/silkcharm/status/39856941631156225 Laurel Papworth

    Huffington Post Sells for $315m #SocialMedia #Revenue http://bit.ly/f3O8uq How much is MY blog worth? or @techAU's? :P

  • http://twitter.com/kmeg50/status/39927352741855232 kathy gates

    RT @SilkCharm Huffington Post Sells for $315m Social Media Revenue http://bit.ly/f3O8uq

  • http://twitter.com/pro_start2010/status/39967565593714688 PRO Start

    Huffington Post Sells for $315m Social Media Revenue | Laurel …: I often write on social media revenue – how s… http://bit.ly/elDx65

  • http://twitter.com/searchtempo searchtempo

    Huffington Post Sells for $315m Social Media Revenue:

    I often write on social media revenue – how social… http://bit.ly/h4qqkk

    This comment was originally posted onTwitter

  • http://twitter.com/SilkCharm SilkCharm

    Which blog sold a week or so ago for $315m? http://bit.ly/eO8dZ4 #socialmedia #revenue

    This comment was originally posted onTwitter

  • http://twitter.com/digitalfilipino digitalfilipino

    RT @SilkCharm: Which blog sold a week or so ago for $315m? http://bit.ly/eO8dZ4 #socialmedia #revenue

    This comment was originally posted onTwitter

  • http://twitter.com/Amanda_Clark Amanda_Clark

    Inspiration 4 us all: RT @SlikCharm Which blog sold a week or so ago for $315m? http://bit.ly/eO8dZ4 #socialmedia #revenue

    This comment was originally posted onTwitter

  • http://twitter.com/wordofmouthy wordofmouthy

    Huffington Post Sells for $315m Social Media Revenue | Laurel … http://bit.ly/evlovK

    This comment was originally posted onTwitter

  • kathy

    Has AOL settled/concluded the lawsuit brought against it by it’s Community Leaders? It’s interesting (if that’s the right word) that both AOL and Huff Post built their social capital on stuff that was given freely by their communities.

    • Laurel Papworth

      yeah I saw that.
      Similar kerfuffle when YouTube sold to Google, any user generated content site has the same issue. I doubt the Community Leaders will win. Some recompense would go a long way towards good will but if they weren’t getting a share of ad revenue they won’t be getting a share of sale, no?

      Incidentally, I remember AOL having issues with community leaders in the ’90′s on their forums. We give for free until we realise someone else is making a fortune from it. Users will wise up and rise up sooner or later. I suspect “later”. :P

  • http://twitter.com/GaryPHayes GaryPHayes

    RT @SilkCharm Huffington Post Sells for $315m Social Media Revenue http://bit.ly/f3O8uq

    This comment was originally posted onTwitter

  • http://twitter.com/SilkCharm SilkCharm

    Huffington Post Sells for $315m #SocialMedia #Revenue http://bit.ly/f3O8uq How much is MY blog worth? or @techAU’s? :P

    This comment was originally posted onTwitter

  • http://twitter.com/marketingblogs marketingblogs

    Huffington Post Sells for $315m Social Media Revenue http://bit.ly/h4qqkk

    This comment was originally posted onTwitter

  • http://twitter.com/corinnepaterson corinnepaterson

    AOL buys a whole lot but what does it do with its new asset? RT Huffington Post Sells for $315m #SocialMedia #Revenue http://bit.ly/f3O8uq

    This comment was originally posted onTwitter

  • http://twitter.com/social_media_jp/status/40037950959919104 SocialMediaNEWS_BOT

    Huffington Post Sells for $315m Social Media Revenue | Laurel …: I often write on social media revenue – how s… http://bit.ly/ea5qEw

  • http://twitter.com/SocialMediaInf SocialMediaInf

    Huffington Post Sells for $315m Social Media Revenue http://bit.ly/evlovK http://bit.ly/aDy0Yz

    This comment was originally posted onTwitter

  • http://twitter.com/kmeg50 kmeg50

    RT @SilkCharm Huffington Post Sells for $315m Social Media Revenue http://bit.ly/f3O8uq

    This comment was originally posted onTwitter

  • http://twitter.com/mrcashguru/status/40350119903625216 Dean Barnard

    Huffington Post Sells for $315m Social Media Revenue | Laurel … http://bit.ly/gzkWw5

  • http://twitter.com/dotcomtweeter/status/40350123313598464 Michael Bereszkowski

    Huffington Post Sells for $315m Social Media Revenue | Laurel … http://bit.ly/g3M8Hd

  • http://twitter.com/dotcomcash/status/40350123439431682 Michael Bereszkowski

    Huffington Post Sells for $315m Social Media Revenue | Laurel … http://bit.ly/g3M8Hd

  • http://twitter.com/btobsocialmedia/status/40398992714104832 BtoBSocialMedia

    Huffington Post sold to AOL for $315m http://bit.ly/fC0JmR

  • http://twitter.com/giuliovada/status/40399215125467136 Giulio Vada

    RT @BtoBSocialMedia: Huffington Post sold to AOL for $315m http://bit.ly/fC0JmR

  • http://twitter.com/suzannahraff/status/40417368941264896 Suzannah Raff

    RT @BtoBSocialMedia: Huffington Post sold to AOL for $315m http://bit.ly/fC0JmR