ITV sells Friends Reunited

[sweetandsour]

They paid £175 Million for it.

They sell it for £25 Million.

I am surprised it is worth that much.

What value is there really in people with a loose sense of kinship talking to each other over the internet?

[realityhack]

They paid £175 Million for it.

They sell it for £25 Million.

I am surprised it is worth that much.

What value is there really in people with a loose sense of kinship talking to each other over the internet?

2 tweets caught my attention this morning:

Oops. ITV Sells #friendsreunited for 25M after buying for 175M #fail

Good point! RT Someone actually *buys* #friendsreunited for £25M #fail++

[OwlHoot]

They paid £175 Million for it.

They sell it for £25 Million.

I am surprised it is worth that much.

What value is there really in people with a loose sense of kinship talking to each other over the internet?

WHS - My impression is it's been completely superceded by Facebook and similar sites.

[realityhack]

And like similar sites, is destined to become another over-AJAXed failure unless the developers sort themselves out. Useless shower of numpties.

[MrMark]

My last contract was for a company that ran a professional social networking site. The vast majority of their revenue came from research data (they'd offer prizes for various completed questionnaires) they were able to sell on to other companies. I do wonder how Friends RE-United can generate any substantial income. However the first priority for the new owners will surely be to stop the churn rate and make it a site people want to log onto regularly. It'll be very interesting to see if the company can be turned around. If anything I think ITV have done well to claw back 25 million, instead of having to make a total write-off.

[OwlHoot]

I think to a degree it has also reached a kind of saturation point, in that almost everyone who is interested in looking up their school mates has already done so and re-established personal contact with those they wished to.

I guess the only way forward for Friends Reunited, if they haven't already done it, is to add new milieus (milieux?) in addition to schools, such as "convicts reunited" for ex-cons, services reunited for ex-squaddies and tars, jobs reunited by company for ex-workmates etc, etc.

[Bright Spark]

perhaps contractors reunited?

[OwlHoot]

perhaps contractors reunited?

Yes, except that I wouldn't want to be reunited with some contractors I've worked with over the years.

[thelace]

I believe that they bought it for Genes Reunited, a subscription based service that is actually making money and fits nicely with their product portfolio....

But you're right, Friends Re-united is worth didly squat...

(Especially as the lass I used to fancy at school won't return my emails )

[OwlHoot]

I believe that they bought it for Genes Reunited, a subscription based service that is actually making money and fits nicely with their product portfolio....

Is that where you answer your front door, to be greeted by a young stranger saying "Hi Dad!".