Who’s next after YouTube?

Now that the smoke has cleared and YouTube officially belongs to Google, the question arises, “Who’ll be next?” A Forbes article asserts that more video firms could be next. With tech centric firms such Yahoo!, Microsoft predicted to be the next movers, we can’t also forget about Viacom, Time Warner, the Walt Disney Co. and NBC. All of these companies have and will continue to expand their online video footprint and could look to snatch anyone of the following:

• VideoEgg
• Metacafe
• Break.com
• Revver
• Blinkx
• Veoh

The remaining companies could stand to benefit from the $1.6 billion that YouTube received. However, there’s only so much cash to go around and only so many firms to which these startups can sell. Clearly some will sell, but those who can’t offer the scale or features that an established acquirer seeks, will be the ones without a chair when the music stops.

CNNMoney questions whether or not the beginning of the end might already be upon the smaller video site. With Microsoft announcing that it will build rather than buy in the form of its Soapbox site, AOL’s purchase of several online video assets such as Truveo and Lightningcast, and Viacom’s acquisition of iFilm and Atom Entertainment, the big players might have gorged on enough video for the time being.

SO WHAT? Regardless of what happens today, I can’t help but feel a buzz in the air. Whether it’s Yahoo!’s continued talks with Facebook or some other deal we have yet to see, there certainly seems to be a lot of excitement in the air. And for those of us who work in this field or those of us who simply enjoy watching the fireworks, it’s certainly a fun time.

Tags: YouTube, Google, Yahoo!, VideoEgg, Metacafe, Break.com, Revver, Blinkx, Veoh, Microsoft, Viacom, AOL

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