Will Cisco Start Acquiring Tivo, Sling Media?

A speculative piece on whether Cisco will start acquiring consumer home-media companies like Tivo or even Sling Media (which has closed a big round of funding). Already Cisco has announced plans to spend $6.9 billion on cable set-top maker Scientific-Atlanta, which it bought recently.

Cisco has, in the past few years, acquired home networking company Linksys, networked DVD payer company Kiss, and of course Scientific-Atlanta. The story asks, who’s next? Will Cisco take a hard look at troubled but well-known TiVo? What about Nintendo? Or what about Sling Media?

The story quotes a source saying there’s a “potential for an interesting partnership” to emerge between the two companies.

Others believe that Cisco would be low on more acquisitions…it needs to digest the SA acquisition first. Also, some factors working against Tivo deal: Cisco already has DVR functionality as part of SA deal. Second, TiVo carries a $460 million market capitalization. Third, TiVo suffered a serious blow in distribution when DirecTV, decided to end a reseller relationship.

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