eBay.com Acquires Stubhub for $310 Million

By Loren Baker, Editor | January 11, 2007

eBay Inc. has acquired StubHub, a privately held company which is sort of the eBay of scalpers, as it’s a marketplace for the resale of concert, show, sports and other event tickets.

A smart acquisition by eBay enables it to expand its offerings and spinoff new sections of eBay, while also assuring that more StubHub users may pick Paypal over other payment methods.

Not only does this acquisition fit the eBay puzzle in a way Skype may not have, but it could also be seen as a defensive move, possibly blocking the usage (or preference) of Google Checkout within StubHub.

eBay has agreed to purchase StubHub for an estimated aggregate value of approximately $310M, which will include the company’s net cash as of the closing. The final amount will be determined at closing based on a formula and be payable in cash.

“StubHub has been extremely successful in the online tickets segment, and it’s a perfect complement to eBay’s tickets business,” said Bill Cobb, president, eBay North America Marketplaces. “Together we can strengthen both businesses and provide fans with more choice and better service.”

Advertisement: SolutionWatch Descriptive Web 2.0 Solutions Blog