Yahoo Acquires Maven Networks for $160 Million

Taking a break from dodging Microsoft, Yahoo is doing some buying of
their own, scooping up Maven Networks for $160 million. Maven is an
online video platform provider, meaning versus a destination site like
YouTube or Metacafe, they provide the technology to power Internet TV
for big media companies like Fox and Scripps.

Yahoo sees an opportunity to further monetize the relationships Maven
has established by selling video ads to their large customer base of
display advertisers. Maven offers a few different types of video ad
formats, including pre/post rolls and overlays. According to Yahoo,
advertisers will now be able to buy video advertising across both
Yahoo properties and those powered by Maven.

The online video space has become increasingly crowded in the past
year, with oodles of funding flowing into startups. Maven was one of
the early movers in the space, founded in 2002 by Hilmi Ozguc. The
company is based in Cambridge, MA.