What happens to News.com and TV.com?

Chris Tompkins — Thu, 15 May 2008 15:48:02 -0700

With the $1.8 billion dollar buyout of CNET Networks by CBS comes a question concerning two coveted domains CNET has held since 2005: news.com and tv.com. The domains are hard to overlook -- news.com attracts between five and six times the number of unique hits as cbsnews.com and an almost equal comparison can be made between cbs.com and CNET's tv.com. What will CBS do with these domains, when the deal goes through?

CBS and CNet have thus far been mum about specific plans for the two domains. However, in a letter to CNet employees, CEO Jim Smith made the comment that CBS's brands "complement our existing categories." Two of CBS' most prominent brands are televised news and entertainment programming, which are not an obvious match for CNet's tech coverage, but potentially are good fits for CNet's non-technology domains.

What's your take -- how much of CBS's investment is acquiring domains which hold potential for its its non-technology related content?

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Related: CBS to buy CNET Networks for $1.8 billion