The video industry staged a fiery "triangle love"

Recently in the video industry has a "triangle love" let many media industry talk about. In this rumor, the Tencent video is undoubtedly the most mentioned parties, but up to the current location, Tencent video is also completely reject any response , And Sohu's Zhang to Sohu video Tencent video merge The rumor response said is "No this matter", the response of Youku is rather vague ambiguous: Youku potatoes neither denied nor explicitly refused.

Whenever there are many parties in the Internet circle of mergers and acquisitions, usually in the rumors of the tight-lipped, after the general smile to cover it, seems to say at that time a lot of inconvenience and helplessness. But if you think about it, in fact there is no one party in the rumor, what they say is completely credible.

If we judge according to the real situation and mentality of the three parties in the gossip, perhaps we can cobwebs and infer the truth which is closest to the truth.

The wandering of Tencent

In recent years, in fact, Tencent High level of video business development is not satisfied, this from last July, Tencent Video general manager Liu Chunning separation of things can be seen, and even Tencent vice President Sun Zhonghui take over its position so far, still not from the outside or inside to find a most suitable successor. Moreover, the OMG itself in the Tencent system is also ranked in the Ieg, SNG, CDG, MIG and other business groups, this shows Tencent video in the Tencent group position.

Over the past two years, Tencent has not had a merger or consolidation case in the video industry, of course, not Tencent's investment has not been approached, but I know a few times about the video site acquisition of the negotiations because Tencent bid lower than other buyers and forget, which actually reflects Tencent has not yet figured out exactly how to play in the network video industry.

In the tide of mobile internet, Tencent has got a ticket by virtue of micro-letter, and the acquisition and investment cases over the past year have mostly focused on how to consolidate and extend the advantages of basic strategic business, such as communication, social networking and gaming, in the mobile internet age. and video sites still rely on burning money to play the game on the rich and deep in the Tencent has no threshold, waiting for the ripe time to catch up a little one o'clock in the evening again seems too late.

But in the blink of an eye to 2014 years, on the one hand, the pattern of the video industry seven will be set, Baidu Department of Love Qi Art ready to go to the U.S. listing, Alibaba's digital entertainment Group is also in the busy layout video; On the other hand, video business as a very important entertainment application in mobile Internet scenario will be a PC Mobile internet over 20 billion market size. The cake is big enough, the brand advertisement advocate to the video advertisement recognition degree also more and more high.

Finally, the time for Tencent to sell. In front of Tencent is a choice problem, A, continue to increase the input of Tencent video, with Tencent's platform, flow advantages and a large amount of funds, and competitors for a video industry top three position; B, reference before and sogou cooperation cases, the first sale of investment shares, and then based on the situation to judge whether wholly-owned acquisitions.

Two options have reasonable reasons, but choosing B is clearly a shortcut. Tencent's previous case, as well as the recent rumours of a stake in Jingdong, Tencent's choice of B is really not a small possibility.

Including Cheng, who is familiar with Tencent, recently wrote that video, the CP business, was most likely to be married by Tencent.

The embarrassment of Sohu

Compared to Tencent video, Sohu Video in Sohu group's importance is self-evident. From last year, Zhang was the chief Sohu Video CEO, and several times for Sohu video platform, as well as Sohu video to participate in the acquisition of PPLive, hoping to split the listing of rumors and so on, it is not difficult to confirm this judgment.

But the development of Sohu video is mixed. Hi, Sohu by virtue of the Pan Entertainment media strategy and the smell of quality content over the years, let Sohu video in the United States drama, Chinese good voice and homemade drama above all have a good harvest; worry is, Chun and Zhang Charles Zhang's mountain side proved that Sohu video inside still have many problems, including industry rumors. Later, Chun lost to the foundation of the deeper Deng Ye ", as well as Sohu executives at the level of people leaving and so on. In addition, Sohu Video in the video industry in the first camp in the overall strength of the weak is also an indisputable fact.

Watching music as the Wind, Archie Art will be listed, Sohu Video in the first camp, the sense of crisis is getting heavier. Last year walked a detour, no longer sitting in the face of the current video industry pattern, although the power of the spiritual leader of Sohu to unite together, but Zennai competitors are very strong, the next one is important.

Sohu is not not moved through capital consolidation to enhance the idea of strength, last year rumors of Sohu acquisition pplive is a move. But on the one hand, due to the high price of pplive, integration is difficult, and also Sohu is not yet ready to fully prepare.

Last November, held in Chengdu, China's first network audio-visual conference, Charles Zhang, Gong, Koo at the same time participated in the scene recorded CCTV "dialogue", although Zhang's seat in the middle, but next to two of former subordinates are faint revealed murderous. Just half a month ago, November 13, Sohu Video United Youku Potatoes, Tencent video, music, and so on together with the release of Baidu video and fast broadcast of "China's network video anti-piracy Joint Declaration of Action", this move and the 09 Anti-Piracy Alliance, just at that time Youku is "the Defense side", and 4 years later this time, Sohu and Youku potatoes stood together, the industry speculated that the anti-Piracy Alliance Stone, Ming Ming is Baidu video and fast broadcast, secretly want to plan the listing of love odd art add dot block.

This seems to prove once again, there is no permanent enemy or friends in the market, businessmen's eyes only interests.

Back to Sohu video and Tencent video combination of the topic, the two integration of the same difficulty, content model, personnel structure ... There are a lot of puzzles to solve. As for strategic significance, should be a matter of opinion, the scale effect must be some, but it is very difficult from the video industry Monitoring report of the monthly user coverage and online time and other data together, calculate the Tencent + Sohu equals market Dick's conclusion. Compared to the same year Youku buy potatoes a trick to win, not only to defend the competition, while ensuring the status of their own rivers and lakes, Sohu and the combination of Tencent appears passive.

The so-called man, the outcome in the day. The Chinese believe in fate, homeopathy and better than the rowing. I do not know that Zhang's words to deny the merger rumors behind, is not really determined to let Sohu video independent development of the listing?

The half-hearted of Youku potatoes

In the rumors, the response of Youku is the most ambiguous and ambiguous. For example, the PR rhetoric: "Youku Potato Group will develop independently, with an open attitude towards strategic cooperation and investment." ”

If the video industry is a marathon, it is clear that Youku is leading the way after half a ride, and is in the best positions.

There are too many assumptions and contingency, so that Youku can not become the dominant video industry today. But it is all accidental behind the inevitable, that is Koo is a long-term vision of the shrewd businessman. Of course, someone would say it's like bullshit and meaningless. But I want to say is, from 2005 56 nets, Tudou has been online so far, over the past eight years, the video industry if in any historical node to overturn, today's pattern will be completely different. Accidental and inevitable staggered, words difficult to say the table.

And Sohu Video, Tencent video compared to a video-sharing model to start the Youku is essentially a comprehensive video site, both film and television dramas, comprehensive arts, self-control and UGC. In the cool content structure, UGC constitute the cornerstone of the long tail flow, if no UGC, Youku in and Archie Art, Sohu, Tencent competition will be difficult to foothold. Over the past two years, Youku has been trying to reduce the excessive reliance on external traffic, such as Youku's own vertical video search engine search, so that in the Baidu reduced the flow of Youku after import, Youku decisive and Baidu video break, and did not suffer fatal impact.

Perhaps it is precisely because of Koo's vision in the long run, when he saw bat to kill into the video field, the lack of solid capital strength, flow entrance, platform-level application of the Youku potato will be difficult to stabilize the position of the first place. In the winner-take-all game, instead of choosing to go head-to-head with the Giants, take refuge in a big tree.

Favorably cool potatoes in recent Q4 earnings, it can be seen that highlighting the growth of mobile-side revenue, driving down costs and achieving the so-called "profit" is only an account of the capital market, in order to let the future listing of love art on the financial level under great pressure.

Unless the other people on the table are out, but the good cool card is about to be finished, but also eyeing the love of the odd art and the hands of Alibaba, and even the background of the mysterious music vision. Today's Youku potatoes in the video industry accounted for about 40% of the market share is not easy, the next road is afraid of the dangerous.

The gossip object of Youku is not only Tencent, but also Alibaba. And compared to Sohu video, also has the sense of the crisis of Youku potato subconscious more hope to take refuge in a tree as soon as possible, this is also the trend.

So it seems, the impact of the final pattern of the video industry dust settled a few pieces, in addition to Tencent, which must have Alibaba, followed by rumors and Sina Video set up a joint venture to kill into the video field of 360.

The video industry's capital consolidation will be staged again this year.