Walt Disney Co is in talks to buy Maker Studios, potentially valuing the fast-growing developer and publisher of YouTube entertainment videos at half a billion dollars or more, tech blog Re/code reported on Tuesday, citing anonymous sources.
If the deal goes through, it would be one of the largest investments in a YouTube developer by a traditional media giant. In past years, the website, which is owned by Google Inc , has tried to beef up revenue by fostering a community of professional and commercial developers, spurring the growth of channels such as Machinima and Maker.
Maker draws some 5.5 billion views monthly and has raised some USD 70 million in financing through investors such as Time Warner Cable.
Disney declined to comment. Maker Studios was not available for comment.
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