Barry Diller

Live Nation, Ticketmaster Propose $2.5 Billion Merger

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on February 10, 2009 - 9:21am.

Los Angeles - Confirming a report in the Wall Street Journal last week, concert promotion giant Live Nation (NYSE: LYV) and Ticketmaster (NASD: TKTM) on Tuesday announced plans to merge, in an all-stock transaction valued at $2.5 billion. If approved by federal regulators, the deal would create the world's largest live entertainment company, Live Nation Entertainment, which "will have the tools to expand access, improve transparency and deliver artists and fans more choice -- driving greater attendance at live events and bringing more value to all major constituents in the industry," the companies said.

Tina Brown, Barry Diller Debut News Aggregator The Daily Beast

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 6, 2008 - 10:27am.

New York - Former Vanity Fair and The New Yorker editor Tina Brown on Monday launched her new online venture with IAC's (NASD: IACI) Barry Diller, The Daily Beast, which will mix original journalism and celebrity gossip with content aggregated from around the Web.

IAC to Split Into Five Companies; Ticketmaster Spun Off

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 5, 2007 - 8:12am.

New York - IAC (NASD: IACI) , the media conglomerate run by Barry Diller that owns Ticketmaster, Citysearch, Ask.com and many other properties, announced on Monday a plan to split IAC into five publicly-traded companies. "We've been a complex enterprise almost from the very beginning 12 years ago, with hundreds of transactions over those years. And while we've created a lot of value, I've always believed our complexity and many mouthfuls of sentences to explain who we are and what our strategy is have hampered clarity and understanding with all our constituencies, particularly investors," said IAC chairman and CEO Barry Diller.

IAC Takes Majority Stake in GarageGames

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 18, 2007 - 7:38am.

New York - IAC (InterActiveCorp) announced on Tuesday that it has acquired a majority stake in GarageGames, an Oregon-based provider of game development tools.

Barry Diller's IAC Buys Search Engine Ask Jeeves for $1.85 Billion

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 21, 2005 - 10:02am.

New York -- IAC/InterActiveCorp, the company headed by Barry Diller that owns Expedia, Ticketmaster, Citysearch, Match.com and the Home Shopping Network, announced on Monday that it has agreed to acquire Internet search engine Ask Jeeves, the ninth-largest global Web property, for $1.85 billion in cash. IAC said it plans to integrate its brands into Ask Jeeves' search service, which was launched in 1996 and allows users to enter questions in plain-English as search queries. "We believe that in the future [Ask Jeeves] has the potential to become one of the great brands on the Internet and beyond, and by beyond we mean in wireless, in the search for anything on any device," said IAC chairman and CEO Barry Diller. Oakland, Calif.-based Ask Jeeves reported $261.3 million in revenue for 2004, largely resulting from its share of revenues from a paid search ad service provided by Google.

Barry Diller Sues Vivendi Universal For $620 Million

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 16, 2003 - 1:52am.

Paris -- Barry Diller has launched a two-front assault on media giant Vivendi Universal. Diller is suing Vivendi for $620 million for allegedly reneging on a tax bill agreement, and also has threatened to prevent the French conglomerate from selling theme park and media assets if Diller does not receive a $2-billion letter of credit to protect his investment in the companies' complex partnership. Vivendi formed a joint venture called Vivendi Universal Entertainment last year with Internet business USA Interactive, of which Diller had been chairman. Diller's lawsuit could not have come at a worse time for Vivendi, which has been struggling to get its muddled finances in order.

tags: Universal | Vivendi | Barry Diller |