Didn’t see this one coming, at least from the buyer’s side: The consumer media division of Imaginova, which includes Space.com, LiveScience.com and Newsarama.com, has been acquired by Ogden, Utah-based online tech/reviews company TopTenReviews, for an undisclosed amount. TTR raised a $6 million first round from Highway 12 Ventures and Village Ventures last year, and that’s the only round it has raised, so judging from this, the acquisition price is likely to be low single digit millions in cash and stock. TopTenReviews says it is the fourth largest technology news site according to Sept 2009 U.S. comScore data (which for something I hardly come across in my work, is amazing if true), and the newly acquired sites will form part of TechMediaNetwork properties, its network focusing on tech, science and entertainment. This means NYC-based Imaginova now has commerce and education units left, with Orion Telescopes & Binoculars as the main brand in it. Release about it after the jump.

TopTenREVIEWS Acquires Technology and Entertainment Web Sites Space.com, LiveScience.com and Newsarama.com

Press Release
Source: TopTenREVIEWS
On 10:29 am EDT, Monday October 26, 2009
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OGDEN, Utah—(BUSINESS WIRE)—TopTenREVIEWS today announced it has acquired the Consumer Media Division of Imaginova Inc., a privately held company based in New York City. Included in the acquisition are Space.com, LiveScience.com and Newsarama.com. As part of the ongoing expansion, TopTenREVIEWS has established the TechMediaNetwork to incorporate these properties.

TopTenREVIEWS, the 4th largest technology news site according to September 2009 U.S. comScore (NSDQ: SCOR) Media Metrix data, joins Space.com, LiveScience.com and Newsarama.com as TechMediaNetwork properties, a network encompassing technology, science and entertainment. Combined, 12.2 million people visit TechMediaNetwork sites each month.

“This acquisition expands TopTenREVIEWS’ coverage as a trusted technology adviser and strengthens the company as a source of technology news,” said TopTenREVIEWS founder and CEO Jerry Ropelato. “We see strong potential for growth in traffic and revenue as a result of the synergy between the sites.”

TopTenREVIEWS is a privately held technology review Web site covering software, Web services, consumer electronics and entertainment, offering millions of reviews in more than 350 categories. With Space.com, LiveScience.com and Newsarama.com, TopTenREVIEWS expands its coverage to include news and information about technology, science and comic genre entertainment, in addition to content about purchasing the best technology and entertainment products. TopTenREVIEWS will expand its coverage of consumer reviews to include products and services related to the new properties.

“Creating TechMediaNetwork is a natural progression in our company’s goal to create a more comprehensive network of technology and entertainment news, information and purchasing advice,” said Stan Bassett, president of TopTenREVIEWS. “Our new tech network broadens our ability to educate people on a wider range of topics – from astronomy to health to computer security.”

The sites, each brand leaders in their markets, will remain fundamentally the same. The science properties syndicate original content to the following news portals: Yahoo! (NSDQ: YHOO), MSNBC, AOL (NYSE: TWX), USA Today and FoxNews.com. TopTenREVIEWS will also continue the relationships Imaginova had with the scientific community, including the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), while expanding its technology and entertainment coverage.

Space enthusiasts visit Space.com for compelling content about space science, astronomy and exploration news. Launched in 1999, Space.com has enjoyed the past management participation of several key space-related public figures.

LiveScience.com is the leading source for groundbreaking developments in health, the environment and technology. It is the 2007 winner of the Online Journalism Award for Specialty Journalism among large Web sites, by the Online News Association (ONA). Known for its ability to convert often complex concepts into simple explanations, LiveScience attracts millions of visitors each month.

Newsarama.com provides comprehensive coverage and commentary of comics and genre-related entertainment. It won the 2008 Eisner Award for Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism. Entertainment Weekly included Newsarama in its list of “100 Greatest Websites,” and the American Library Association lists it as a research resource in the field of comics.

Founded in 2003, TopTenREVIEWS.com provides consumers with side-by-side product and pricing comparisons to help them research, shop and purchase technology and entertainment products and services. To fuel growth, TopTenREVIEWS received a Series A investment from venture capital firms Highway 12 Ventures and Village Ventures in June 2008. The investment in TopTenREVIEWS built on the success of the initially self-funded company’s vision to change the way consumers shop for technology and entertainment products and services by providing helpful, accurate and unbiased reviews and resources.

To learn more about TechMediaNetwork, visit http://www.techmedianetwork.com. For more information about TopTenREVIEWS, visit: http://www.toptenreviews.com/about-us.html. For more information on LiveScience, visit: http://www.livescience.com; Space.com, http://www.space.com; and Newsarama, http://www.newsarama.com.

TopTenREVIEWS is a trademark of TopTenREVIEWS Inc. All other names are used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Contact:

TopTenREVIEWS
Mark Fredrickson, 801-452-7654
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

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