Digital Window - the owner of major UK affiliate network Affiliate Window, as well as product comparison service Shop Window - has bought Buy.at from AOL.
The deal was made for an undisclosed sum, leading industry analysts to speculate on how valuable the deal is. AOL paid $125 million for affiliate network Buy.at only 12 months ago.
The acquisition will see some staff moves and voluntary redundancies, but the major issue is how the acquisition will alter the affiliate marketing landscape in coming months. With the takeover, combined with anecdotal evidence that many affiliate programs have been migrating to Buy.at from other networks, there's a danger that Digital Window will in future head up a sector monopoly.
All eyes are now on how the new player grows. Let's hope it's for the benefit of its customers.
