Disney Brushes Up on iParenting Skills
December 30th, 2007It’s been a big week if you’re into watching major media companies gobble up high-traffic, family-friendly websites. First you had News Corp. (NYSE: NWS) purchase Beliefnet, the spiritual community hub that draws more than 3 million unique monthly visitors. You also have Disney (NYSE: DIS) picking up iParenting Media.Terms of the iParenting purchase aren’t being disclosed, but Disney’s getting more than 40 content-rich websites. From Preconception.com to Grandparents Today, iParenting’s destinations run the gamut of parent — and potential parent — topics.It’s a perfect fit, but not just because Disney is the leader in family entertainment. From Family Fun magazine to its Family.com website, Disney has been a parent magnet for years. Its acquisition earlier this year of the popular, virtual, kid-community site Club Penguin also fits well here. If parents trust Disney to entertain their kids through various media outlets, premium communities like Club Penguin become easier sells.It’s actually surprising to see Disney on a dot-com buying spree, when it has excelled at being the top draw organically. However, it certainly didn’t want iParenting to fall into the wrong hands. Rival Viacom (NYSE: VIA) could have done some neat things in tying its Nickelodeon cable properties to iParenting. Companies such as The Knot (Nasdaq: KNOT) and Martha Stewart Living (Nasdaq: MSO) have also tried to reach young mothers in cyberspace.