Gawker network three times more valuable than Drudge Report, according to survey

24/7 Wall St.
The financial news site 24/7 Wall St. has come up with a list of the 25 most valuable blogs (perhaps more aptly, aggregators and news sites) based on revenue, profits, market differentiation and “founder risk,” or the harm that would come if the founder left. Gawker is by far the most valuable, followed by Drudge. Business Insider is valued at $45 million; the editors at 24/7 Wall St. write that its “mix of in-depth financial and business analysis and gossipy and sophomoric content has more than doubled the site’s audience in a year.” Mashable, which has expanded without the help of outside investors, is valued at $39 million. Of Glenn Beck’s The Blaze, valued at $24 million, 24/7 Wall St. writes, “The site’s greatest asset may also be its greatest weakness – its identity is inextricably linked to that of its founder.” The Huffington Post, which AOL bought for $315 million, is not on the list. || Related: The Huffington Post’s brand is worth $358.6 million compared to $156.3 million for AOL (Forbes.com)

The rankings:

1. Gawker: $318 million
2. Drudge: $93 million
3. PopSugar Media Network: $64 million
4. SBNation: $56 million
5. Macrumors: $52 million
6. Business Insider, Seeking Alpha: $45 million
7. Cheezburger Network $41 million
8. Mashable $39 million
9. GigaOM $32 million
10. Perez Hilton $29 million
11. Funny or Die $27 million
12. The Blaze $24 million
13. Zero Hedge $16 million
14. ReadWriteWeb $13.2 million
15. VentureBeat $13 million
16. PItchfork $12.9 million
17. Mediaite $12 million
18. Newser $8 million
19. Boing Boing $7 million
20. Gothamist $4.2 million
21. Breitbart $4 million
22. Destructoid $3.7 million
23. Breaking Media $3.5 million
24. 24/7 Wall St. (Of course the site had to put itself on the list, though it doesn’t estimate its own value.)