Comcast to Buy Vox Media?

The move would give Comcast control of blogs like SB Nation and Eater.

rvlsoft/Shutterstock

rvlsoft/Shutterstock

Comcast is reportedly in talks to purchase Vox Media (owners of SB Nation, Eater and The Verge). It would make Comcast a major player in the blog media world, but apparently the cable giant thinks Vox’s price valuation is way too high. Quartz has the story:

Comcast has been engaged in halting negotiations to acquire Vox Media, according to several people close to the talks. The sticking point, as always, is price, with Vox Media seeking a valuation close to $1 billion. Negotiations fell apart when it became clear Comcast didn’t want to pay that much, but the two sides have talked again recently.

A Comcast spokesperson declined to comment.

Last week, Vox purchased Recode, a small site spun out of the Wall Street Journal in late 2013. Comcast is a minority stakeholder in both Vox and Recode and gave it’s blessing for the deal to get done, said Quartz. It breaks down what Comcast may hope to gain in the transaction:

Since its second investment in the company, Comcast has viewed Vox Media as something like a digital laboratory from which its other media properties, largely part of NBCUniversal, could learn. Executives and editors from Vox Media paid visits to the staff of many of NBC’s websites. Owning the company outright could give Comcast better access to Vox Media’s strategy and technology, and provide a hedge against NBC’s heavy reliance on television advertising, which is expected to shift more quickly toward web advertising in coming years.