Sling Media

Founders: Blake Krikorian (pictured), Jason Krikorian
Acquisition Price: $380 million
Buyer: EchoStar Comunications
Funding: $10.5 million from Doll Capital Management, Hearst, and Mobius Venture Capital; $46.6 million from Allen & Co., EchoStar Communications, Goldman Sachs (GS) and Liberty Media

The Runup:
Sling Media investors included both DISH Network operator EchoStar and Liberty Media, the largest stakeholder in DirecTV, so the startup had clearly toyed with marrying its content-shifting hardware with a major satellite distributor. In September, just as Sling began approaching investors for a third round of funding, EchoStar moved in and bought the company for $380 million in cash and options.

The Payoff:
Asked in an interview with Paidcontent.org whether the deal was worth more than the announced price, Sling co-founder Blake Krikorian hinted that EchoStar had layered in incentives: "I wouldn't do this unless I thought there was some additional upside," Krikorian said. Blake and his brother Jason will continue to head up Sling Media, though it's unclear whether the brand will become a subsidiary or be spun off.