• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Social Security's 2032 deadline puts a 22% cut on the table — but Washington has way less room to negotiate than 1983

2

CEO of $20 billion AI firm Perplexity says the secret to success is ‘sleeping with that fear’ that your competitor will steal your idea

3

Boomers actually do hold most of the wealth and power. So why do they call it 'whiny' to point that out?

1

Social Security's 2032 deadline puts a 22% cut on the table — but Washington has way less room to negotiate than 1983

2

CEO of $20 billion AI firm Perplexity says the secret to success is ‘sleeping with that fear’ that your competitor will steal your idea

3

Boomers actually do hold most of the wealth and power. So why do they call it 'whiny' to point that out?

IAC puts CollegeHumor up for sale amid video deal boom

By
Erin Griffith
Erin Griffith
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Erin Griffith
Erin Griffith
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 5, 2014, 4:55 PM ET

CollegeHumor, an entertainment website owned by IAC (IACI), is talking to potential acquirers about sale of the business, according to sources familiar with the situation. IAC, which acquired a majority stake in CollegeHumor eight years ago for a reported $20 million, is hoping to find a buyer that will pay around $100 million.

CollegeHumor would be the third humor site seeking a buyer. Bloomberg previously reported that Funny or Die had hired Moelis & Co. for a sale that could generate between $100 million and $300 million. Bloomberg also reported that The Onion is on the block, with a source telling Fortune that the asking price there is around $100 million.

What’s driving this deal activity? In short, Walt Disney Co. (DIS).

This past April, Disney acquired a network of YouTube channels called Maker Studios for almost $1 billion, valuing it at a rich multiple of four times its revenue run rate. “All the other incumbent traditional media companies stood up to take notice,” one banker says. “They’re all trying to figure out why Disney did that and what copycat transactions are credible alternatives.”

Disney’s deal for Maker Studios sparked flurry of online video acquisitions: Maker rival Fullscreen Media sold itself to Otter Media, Peter Chernin’s joint venture with AT&T (T), for between $200 million and $300 million. Another YouTube network called BigFrame was acquired by subsidiary of Dreamworks Animation (DWA). Stylehaul, a fashion and beauty video network, sold to a European television company for $151 million. Up-and-comers, like Tastemade, which LA techies are calling “the next Food Network,” and MiTu, Latino lifestyle network, recently raised eight-figure rounds of venture funding at healthy valuations.

Digital video is having a moment, and as venture investors love to say, “The time to eat the hors d’oevres is when they’re being passed.”

Now the humor sites are hoping to take advantage of the acquisition interest. CollegeHumor, which operates Dorkly.com and WatchLoud.com, has more than eight million YouTube subscribers and calls itself the #1 YouTube comedy channel.

An IAC representative declined to comment.

About the Author
By Erin Griffith
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

Markets celebrate U.S.-Iran deal as both sides confirm this time is real. Trump says oil will flow and ‘I never cared about regime change’
EnergyIran
Markets celebrate U.S.-Iran deal as both sides confirm this time is real. Trump says oil will flow and ‘I never cared about regime change’
By Jason MaJune 14, 2026
2 hours ago
Oil and gas supplies could take months to return to normal after Iran deal, energy experts say
EnergyOil
Oil and gas supplies could take months to return to normal after Iran deal, energy experts say
By Cathy Bussewitz and The Associated PressJune 14, 2026
4 hours ago
Trump says a deal has been reached with Iran and orders end to U.S. naval blockade as Hormuz to reopen — ‘Ships of the World, start your engines’
PoliticsIran
Trump says a deal has been reached with Iran and orders end to U.S. naval blockade as Hormuz to reopen — ‘Ships of the World, start your engines’
By Julia Frankel, Abby Sewell, Munir Ahmed, Will Weissert and The Associated PressJune 14, 2026
6 hours ago
Social Security faces steep cuts. These senators want to bet on stocks and $27 trillion in debt to save it—but ‘the gamble does not always pay off’
InvestingSocial Security
Social Security faces steep cuts. These senators want to bet on stocks and $27 trillion in debt to save it—but ‘the gamble does not always pay off’
By Jason MaJune 14, 2026
7 hours ago
Dario Amodei, Anthropic CEO
AIAnthropic
A warning from Amazon led the White House to shut down Anthropic’s Mythos model
By Beatrice NolanJune 14, 2026
7 hours ago
Vietnam has bold plans for its economic future. It will need U.S. tech, capital, and speed to make them happen
CommentaryVietnam
Vietnam has bold plans for its economic future. It will need U.S. tech, capital, and speed to make them happen
By Brian McFeeters and Vu Tu ThanhJune 14, 2026
7 hours ago

Most Popular

Social Security's 2032 deadline puts a 22% cut on the table — but Washington has way less room to negotiate than 1983
Personal Finance
Social Security's 2032 deadline puts a 22% cut on the table — but Washington has way less room to negotiate than 1983
By John W. Diamond and The ConversationJune 12, 2026
2 days ago
CEO of $20 billion AI firm Perplexity says the secret to success is ‘sleeping with that fear’ that your competitor will steal your idea
Success
CEO of $20 billion AI firm Perplexity says the secret to success is ‘sleeping with that fear’ that your competitor will steal your idea
By Preston ForeJune 13, 2026
2 days ago
Boomers actually do hold most of the wealth and power. So why do they call it 'whiny' to point that out?
Economy
Boomers actually do hold most of the wealth and power. So why do they call it 'whiny' to point that out?
By Nick LichtenbergJune 14, 2026
17 hours ago
Iran proved it can close the Strait of Hormuz, but the U.S. is advertising very loudly that the world's top superpower can at least punch open a hole
Energy
Iran proved it can close the Strait of Hormuz, but the U.S. is advertising very loudly that the world's top superpower can at least punch open a hole
By Jason MaJune 14, 2026
10 hours ago
The Gen Z cofounder of $1.6 billion Whop says his platform has minted over 650 millionaires—he wants to make work fun and money worries obsolete
Success
The Gen Z cofounder of $1.6 billion Whop says his platform has minted over 650 millionaires—he wants to make work fun and money worries obsolete
By Emma BurleighJune 14, 2026
18 hours ago
Gen Z fled San Francisco for Texas and Florida. Now they’re turning ‘welcomer cities’ into the next big tech towns
Real Estate
Gen Z fled San Francisco for Texas and Florida. Now they’re turning ‘welcomer cities’ into the next big tech towns
By Sydney LakeJune 13, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.