TechTaffy

tech:

taffy

Disney To Buy Maker For $500M

By TechTaffy Desk

Maker-StudioDisney is acquiring Maker Studios, a network of online video content on YouTube, for $500 million, as well as a performance-linked earn-out of up to $450 million if targets are met. The transaction, which is subject to regulatory clearances, is expected to close in Disney’s third fiscal quarter.

Robert Iger (Chairman and CEO, Disney): Short-form online video is growing at an astonishing pace. 

Maker Studios will report to Disney CFO Jay Rasulo. The company will remain headquartered in Culver City, Calif., with operations in New York and London.

Maker Studios has more than 55,000 channels, 380 million subscribers and 5.5 billion views per month on YouTube, according to the statement released announcing the acquisition.

[Image courtesy: Maker Studio]

Just in

Seed

Oso Semiconductor raises $5.2M

Oso Semiconductor has raised $5.2 million in seed funding. The round was led by Engine Ventures.
People

Battelle appoints Tim Ryan to board of directors

Battelle has elected Tim Ryan, Citi’s Head of Technology and Business Enablement, to its board of directors.
Around the web

OpenAI launches ChatGPT Gov for U.S. government agencies — CNBC

It’s called ChatGPT Gov and was built specifically for U.S. government use; writes Hayden Field. 
Around the web

DeepSeek’s popular AI app is explicitly sending US data to China — Wired

Users have already reported several examples of DeepSeek censoring content that is critical of China or its policies, writes Matt Burgess and Lily Hay Newman. 
Around the web

DeepSeek hit with large-scale cyberattack, says it’s limiting registrations — CNBC

DeepSeek on Monday said it would temporarily limit user registrations “due to large-scale malicious attacks” on its services; writes Hayden Field.