Evidence of YouTube’s Next New Networks Acquisition?

Last week, the New York Times reported YouTube was in talks to acquire new media studio Next New Networks

(who produced two of YouTubes top 10 videos of the past year, Bed Intruder Song and the Tik Tok Ke$ha parody, Glitter Puke).

The news left at least one online video pundit scratching his head. Another played the role of super sleuth, attempting to identify suspects from Next New Neworks who could’ve leaked information to the Times. Many more tech and entertainment journalists commented on the likelihood of YouTube going through with acquisition and entering the content production game.

Over the weekend, I found some interesting (not at all substantial) evidence that (in no way, shape, or form) proves the YouTube acquisition of Next New Networks is (quite possibly, but may or may not be) imminent. All you have to do is click over to Facebook.

YouTube’s Facebook Fan Page is liked by more people than music. 25,121,787 and counting.

Out of all those millions of people with their millions of Facebook Fan pages, YouTube is only a fan of five organizations. Two are Google properties (Google and Google TV). One is a non-profit (Project for Awesome). And the two remaining are privately held content companies with large YouTube communities that also generate a good portion of their revenue from the internet’s largest video sharing site (Howcast and Next New Networks).

I rest my case. And if you’re in the mood to entertain end-of-the-year predictions for 2011 based on Facebook Fan Pages, I have one for you: YouTube will acquire Howcast next.