"Content Plus Distribution" Now is King

Media observers always argue about whether "content" or "distribution" is king of the ecosystem, and views tend to swing back and forth over time.

Henry Blodget, editor of Business Insider, just sidesteps the whole argument, arguing that "content plus distribution" is king. To be more specific, right now Google is king, as it has the best balance of distribution and content assets.

New media companies running the gamut from Google to Gawker Media are now collectively worth $289 billion, nearly as much as the total market value, $296 billion, of traditional media companies like Time Warner, Disney, and News Corp. The two groups are “neck and neck,” said Blodget.

But the bulk of that new-media value lies in Google, not ventures like Huffington Post, Sugar Inc., or Gawker, which resemble traditional content-creating publishers. That’s because, Blodget said, content isn’t king: “Content plus distribution is king.

Henry Blodget: New media and old media are “neck and neck” in value | VentureBeat