Disney buys Maker Studios, Owner of the Polaris Network, for $500 million - Polidicks

[quote=Bloomberg] Walt Disney Co. (DIS) agreed to buy Maker Studios, a supplier of online video content to YouTube, for as much as $950 million, gaining technology and experience with short-form entertainment. Disney, based in Burbank, California, will pay $500 million, plus as much as $450 million linked to the performance targets, according to a statement today. With more than 55,000 channels, 380 million subscribers and 5.5 billion views a month on YouTube, Maker has established itself as the top online video network for young audiences, Disney said. The acquisition is one of the company’s biggest since the $4 billion purchase of Lucasfilm Ltd. in 2012. “Short-form online video is growing at an astonishing pace and with Maker Studios, Disney will now be at the center of this dynamic industry with an unmatched combination of advanced technology and programming expertise and capabilities,” said Robert A. Iger, Disney’s chairman and chief executive officer.[/quote] [url=http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-24/disney-pays-as-much-as-950-million-for-maker-studios.html]Source[/url]. [img]http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/Starmenclock/FZKuRMO_zps6efcfd39.png[/img] For those who don't know, Maker Studio is the parent company for the Polaris Network, which contains personalities like Totalbiscuit, Pewdiepie, Jesse Cox, and Dodger.

Danny Diamond is laughing right now.

So what does this mean, exactly? Is Disney just gonna use Maker Studios' video services? Or will we be seeing TB hanging around Mickey Mouse?

[QUOTE=Magikoopa24;44343909]So what does this mean, exactly? Is Disney just gonna use Maker Studios' video services? Or will we be seeing TB hanging around Mickey Mouse?[/QUOTE] I'd imagine Disney is making more of a move into internet video.

[QUOTE=Gustafa;44343922]I'd imagine Disney is making more of a move into internet video.[/QUOTE] I see. Let's just hope this was purely a technological acquisition, and that we won't be seeing tighter restrictions put upon the content creators.

Let's just hope this only extends to paid promotional stuff (the legit kind without any secret strings), and doesn't force anything dodgy upon the Polaris content creators, otherwise TB might end up forming a S.P.H.I.N.X (S.P.H.I.N.X!) style splinter group to avoid Disney spilling hot tomatoey bureaucracy in his lap. It'll probably be legit and safe, but you can never trust these guddamn megacorps nowadays.

[QUOTE=Magikoopa24;44343909]So what does this mean, exactly? Is Disney just gonna use Maker Studios' video services? Or will we be seeing TB hanging around Mickey Mouse?[/QUOTE] It means Jesse is now a Disney Princess.

[QUOTE=Magikoopa24;44343909]So what does this mean, exactly? Is Disney just gonna use Maker Studios' video services? Or will we be seeing TB hanging around Mickey Mouse?[/QUOTE] Game Grumps will be forced to exclusively play Adventures in the Magic Kingdom over and over again forever and TB will be contractually required to legally change his name to "Mickey Mouse™"

[QUOTE=Janus Vesta;44343996]It means Jesse is now a Disney Princess.[/QUOTE] And he'd still be beaten at that by TB in that regard. After all, everyone knows TB is the prettiest prettiest princess, much to his chagrin.

[QUOTE=smurfy;44344007]Game Grumps will be forced to exclusively play Adventures in the Magic Kingdom over and over again forever[/QUOTE] Mousecapades 24 hours straight

GameGrumps is forced to play ClubPenguin for a 200-part series now. And not get banned.

Maybe DieDieDie won't be so keen on screaming "RAPE" every other word so stupid children will laugh now.

Also, I have a feeling that TB may end up talking about this on tomorrow's podcast, so tune at 7pm GMT for Jesse shamelessly welcoming his new mouse-eared overlords.

[QUOTE=Magikoopa24;44343909]So what does this mean, exactly? Is Disney just gonna use Maker Studios' video services? Or will we be seeing TB hanging around Mickey Mouse?[/QUOTE] It means PewDiePie and Markiplier will get even more money for faking screams in a video with minimal editing and effort put into them.

[QUOTE=ironman17;44344011]And he'd still be beaten at that by TB in that regard. After all, everyone knows TB is the prettiest prettiest princess, much to his chagrin.[/QUOTE] :optimisticbiscuit:

I was planning to leave Maker. So now I'm partnered with Disney. Damnit.

When Disney bought Pixar, John Lasseter went from Pixar to being a Disney executive, and he turned around some of Disney's shit decisions, such as abandoning hand-drawn animation. What this clearly means is that Egoraptor is now President and CEO of Disney

[QUOTE=Manibogi;44344056]It means PewDiePie and Markiplier will get even more money for faking screams in a video with minimal editing and effort put into them.[/QUOTE] The cycle continues. I wonder what Disney plans on doing with it.

[QUOTE=smurfy;44344099]When Disney bought Pixar, John Lasseter went from Pixar to being a Disney executive, and he turned around some of Disney's shit decisions, such as abandoning hand-drawn animation. What this clearly means is that Egoraptor is now President and CEO of Disney[/QUOTE] And Danny Sexbang writes all the songs for the movies, which are performed by Smooth McGroove.

Jesse Cox is having a feel day now on Twitter: [img]http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/Starmenclock/jessedisney_zps4440f525.png[/img]

I wasn't even aware that there was a company overlooking all these YouTube personalities.

[video=youtube;Pz77PxJdotI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz77PxJdotI[/video] Wait, so Jon can finally go to Cilarenda's castle?

[QUOTE=Fangz;44344257]Jesse Cox is having a feel day now on Twitter: [img]http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/Starmenclock/jessedisney_zps4440f525.png[/img][/QUOTE] princess leah has arrived...

Holy fuck I didn't think they were worth anywhere near that.

[QUOTE=Scot;44344311]Holy fuck I didn't think they were worth anywhere near that.[/QUOTE] this is happening all of a sudden, out of the damn blue... this is humorous though.

[QUOTE=Mr Anderson;44344295][video=youtube;Pz77PxJdotI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz77PxJdotI[/video] Wait, so Jon can finally go to Cilarenda's castle?[/QUOTE] No because Jon's part of NormalBoots now.

someone archive this video before it's taken down [video=youtube;u-LfKbCR0MI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-LfKbCR0MI[/video]

[QUOTE=barttool;44344385]someone archive this video before it's taken down[/QUOTE] [URL="http://filesmelt.com/dl/Mickey_Mousecapade_-_Game_Grumps.mp4"]Done. Enjoy.[/URL]

[QUOTE]PewDiePie[/QUOTE] Disneys next batch of horrible sitcoms is going to [I]suuuuuuuuck![/I]

Probably not much chance of it happening, but a new 2D animated Disney movie with animation done by EgoRaptor and Ninja Sex Party writing the obligatory musical numbers would be the shit. More realistically, I'm hoping Disney doesn't stick its corporate tendrils into the channels Polaris controls and enforce new rules. While Disney tends to be pretty okay as far as megacorporations go, being that it's a megacorporation of insane size, it's not unreasonable to fear executive meddling seeping in and ruining all kinds of things. [editline]PDP[/editline] [QUOTE]PewDiePie[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=lekkimsm;44344493]Disneys next batch of horrible sitcoms is going to [I]suuuuuuuuck![/I][/QUOTE] Although in this case, I wouldn't mind much if Disney forced the non-stop train of unfunny rape jokes to come screeching to halt. Sure, it'd open the door for less shitty channels to get controlled and monitored, but goddamn would it be worth it in the short term. The sheer force from the destruction of the comedy vacuum known as PewDiePie would be so powerful, it'd somehow resurrect George Carlin, I'm convinced.