While Disney’s acquisition of Maker Studios was one of the earliest and largest plays by a traditional media powerhouse for a so-called YouTube multi-channel network, the seminal deal has ultimately proved less valuable than anticipated.
All told, Disney ended up paying $675 million for Maker Studios, according to a 10-Q form filed by the company yesterday. This included an initial payment of $500 million and a subsequent $175 million in earn-outs. While that isn’t exactly chump change, it’s less than the $950 million figure that Maker was slated to earn if all its performance goals were met.
Maker CEO Ynon Kreiz stepped down in December after the earn-out period expired amid reports of some friction. Maker felt it would have more access to Disney’s brands and IP, according to Re/code, and was also upset by changes in Disney’s corporate architecture. Kreiz was succeeded by former COO Courtney Holt, who was named executive vice president.
Subscribe to get the latest creator news