Speculation: Is GOOGL Closer To A TWTR Takeover?

While Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) may be the most valuable company in the world, accounting for difference in cash balances between it and Apple, there is one area that Twitter Inc. (NYSE:TWTR) is able to compete with Alphabet Inc. and that is real-time communiques. It’s that unique space that Twitter holds that could make the company a takeover target for Alphabet.

This post is republished from Ophir’s blog, CMLviz.

The Story

This is a fascinating side-by-side comparison and a reveal of how powerful Twitter Inc. has become in just the last month. With that power may have come an impetus for Alphabet Inc. GOOGL to make the long awaited, or at least speculated, Twitter TWTR takeover.

Real Time Communiques

Twitter Inc. is now famously known for its unique ability to deliver real time communiques. With a sack full of new live streaming deals ranging from the NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS and Wimbledon to Bloomberg TV and college athletics, Twitter Inc. has turned things around. But there is one example of a head-to-head comparison between Twitter Inc. and Alphabet Inc. that is “apples-to-apples,” and we’re not so sure Alphabet Inc. wins this one. It’s that head-to-head competition that ratchets up the TWTR takeover speculation.

The One Place Twitter Can Compete With Alphabet

Twitter Inc. announced a partnership to live steam the republican and democratic national conventions. That partnership delivered exactly what it reads like — live footage of the conventions surrounded by live tweeting. It was a wonderful experience and just the beginning of the newly defend Twitter Inc. identity.

Here’s what Alphabet Inc. did — these are snippets directly from the official Google blog:

So there we have it, a direct and equivalent competition for the same event and the same technology that is live streaming. While almost any other comparison between these two companies would likely swing wildly in Alphabet Inc.’s favor, we must ask ourselves if that is the case with this event.

And, if this is a legitimate competition for Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) and its YouTube property for one live event, then perhaps Twitter Inc. (TWTR) is now a legitimate competitor more broadly with the most powerful company in the world in this one area.

Is Alphabet Going To Takeover Twitter?

The next logical step when we see a side-by-side competition between two companies that are in fact cooperating on a large scale through Google search and Twitter’s tweets, is to wonder if perhaps a takeover is due. While Twitter’s CEO, Jack Dorsey, plainly said that Twitter Inc. was not looking for a buyer at the most recent Twitter shareholder meeting, that doesn’t mean Alphabet Inc. isn’t interested in a takeover.

In this case, it’s a fair analytical question to pose, whether Alphabet Inc. is now more likely to make a bid to acquire Twitter Inc. (TWTR) since the two are competing directly, as opposed to a friendlier coopetition. Given Facebook’s dominance in the social media realm and Alphabet’s failure with Google Plus, we could list dozens of reasons for a takeover.

For a Friday afternoon, an Alphabet Inc. takeover of Twitter Inc. is a fun place to let our minds go. It might also be a good place to do further research.

Why This Matters

Twitter and Google generates nearly all of their business from advertising and they are both leading the way in the revolutionary new ad format that is online video which is growing so quickly that it will someday over take standard linear Television ads. It turns out that there is one technology company that will power this revolution, regardless of whether it’s Facebook, Google, Twitter, or whomever that will end up with the largest audience.

Thanks for reading.

Read more from Ophir on CMLviz.com.

Twitter:  @OphirGottlieb

Author has positions in mentioned securities at the time of publication.  Any opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author, and do not in any way represent the views or opinions of any other person or entity.