According to a press release today the owners of Newspapers.com has put the domain up for sale and according to a Seller’s broker the owners are looking for something close to $1 Million for the domain.
First here is the PR:
“”Internet Express Inc., the company that owns the domain name “newspapers.com” and related website has indicated it will entertain offers for the name and site, according to newspaper brokerage firm Cribb, Greene & Associates who represent the seller in the contemplated transaction.
“Internet Express, Inc. has owned the domain name for seventeen years but has decided not to further develop the accompanying website.”
“Newspapers.com” appears as the first or second result in a Google search for newspapers.”
“This highly visible domain name is attractive to companies that own newspapers or provide services in the newspaper-related industry.”
“Basic information on the domain name and website is available by contacting the Cribb, Greene Montana office: John Cribb, Managing Director, jcribb@cribb.com, 406-586-6621.
“Potential buyers for “newspapers.com” are invited to provide a non-binding expression of interest to include the purchase price, terms, proposed purchase date and any contingencies to closing to jcribb@cribb.com by March 15, 2012. ”
Cribb, Greene & Associates is an eighty-eight year old newspaper brokerage, consulting and appraisal firm with offices in Charlottesville, Virginia and Bozeman, Montana. Contact information for the firm principals is available at cribb.com.
The Wisconsin man who has owned Newspapers.com Francis Diederich, is hoping to get up to $1 million for it. ”
“He bought the domain back in 1994 or 1995 and always thought he would do something with it, but he never developed it,” says broker John Cribb, who is handling the sale.
“He turned down big money for it in the old days — he had offers of $750,000 and $1 million,” says Cribb. “My guess is that somewhere between $400,000 and a million is what he’d like to get now.”
“Cribb says newspapers.com appears as the first or second result in a Google search for newspapers. (The New York Times, he notes, owns newspaper.com
Why pay $400K-$1 million for newspapers dot com when you can just go to Dynadot and register newspapers dot tv for $431?
$1-million is cheap for that name. If developed into an online subscription based site to worldwide newspapers, it would do far better.
seems like a good name to develop into
an online subscription platform for ipad versions
of daily papers from around the world
Personally, I wouldn’t want to pay a premium for that domain nowadays. Newspapers just like paper books will all be likened to cassette tapes. A thing of the past soon enough. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to own the name, but with the world moving away from traditional media and to a complete online/app environment it isn’t worth what it was probably worth 5 – 10 years ago. My guess is the owner realizes he missed the boat on his huge payday and is now hoping for a very large payday. Either way good luck to the seller. Just my two pennies.
Dying industry, would be surprised if “expression of interest” results in a sale. Think this is sub 100k personally.
About as relevant as 8Track.com
Plenty of fools in this business, it may see 6 figures quite easily.
I’m not so sure I would dismiss this name quite yet.
Yes the online media is crushing the print media.
But when ships are going down, they throw money at ideas
to save their ship. Anyone remember when RH Donnelly
bought Business.com for 350million only to file BK a year later?
I could see a Newscorp throwing some money at it.
They still do a huge business in newspapers.
This seems like a good acquisition for Magazines.com, they’ve got a massive database of clients (including me) probably some opportunities to leverage already existing business relationships. IE: Tribune Corp owns a lot of magazines and newspapers.
In 2010 Magazines.com did nearly $29M in revenue.
If they don’t make the acquisition it’s a missed opportunity.
great domain of high value