The founders of YouTube Inc. built this year's standout Web phenomenon by figuring out how to make online video sharing easier than ever. What they hadn't yet figured out was making money from their site. Google Inc. took that problem off their hands Monday, by agreeing to buy the site for $1.65 billion.
The all-stock deal makes YouTube by far the most expensive purchase made by Google during its eight-year history. Last year, Google spent $130.5 million buying a total of 15 small companies.
Although some cynics have questioned YouTube's staying power, Google is betting that the popular video-sharing site will provide it an increasingly lucrative marketing hub as more viewers and advertisers migrate from television to the Internet.
"This is the next step in the evolution of the Internet," Google Chief Executive Officer Eric Schmidt said during a conference call Monday.
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