Press Release: ValueClick to Acquire Commission Junction
IAR: ValueClick Snaps Up Commission Junction

ValueClick, once a scrappy pay-per-click ad network, is steadily emerging as a major player in the online ad and marketing space, bolstered further buy the acquisition it announced today of Commission Junction, one of the leading affiliate program networks. ValueClick, which trades on Nasdaq (VCLK), paid $58 million for the privately held and reportedly profitable Commission Junction in a combination of cash, ValueClick common stock and options to purchase ValueClick common stock. A year and a half ago, ValueClick bought Be Free, another major player in the affiliate marketing space, for $128 million in an all-stock deal.

James Zarley, CEO of ValueClick, said in the press release: "The acquisition of Commission Junction would double the size of our affiliate marketing division, and is the latest example of ValueClick's ability to execute on our strategy of being a single-source provider of technology, media and services for digital marketers."

IAR reports that Commission Junction will be added the the Be Free division of the business, though details of that integration are unclear. In addition, ValueClick also has acquired Mediaplex, with a suite of ad serving and email distribution tools for marketers and publishers, and AdWare, which produces media buying, agency management and content management tools.