Twitter is in "advanced" talks to pay $50 million for popular Twitter client TweetDeck, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Previously, TweetDeck was reported to be in talks to sell to UberMedia for $30 million in cash and stock.
We had asked sources close to the situation about the TweetDeck-UberMedia deal a few weeks ago, and we were told both companies were still talking.
Apparently Twitter saw an opportunity to swoop in and trump the deal.
Why would Twitter want to get TweetDeck away from UberMedia?
TweetDeck is one of the more popular independent third party Twitter applications out there. It accounts for around 13% of all tweets sent out, and is generally the preferred app for Twitter "power users."
Those are the users Twitter wants on one of its official apps, not controlled by a growing rival like UberMedia.
UberMedia started out as a company that was going to create Twitter ads. It started changing its course buying up Twitter apps, gaining more power and influence over Twitter.
As it has grown, its relationship with Twitter has reportedly deteriorated. (Twitter blocked UberMedia apps in February, claiming a violation of Twitter's terms of service.)
UberMedia is reportedly going to use its base of Twitter clients as a way to launch a Twitter-like service. If it owns TweetDeck, then UberMedia has an even strong base for its own Twitter-killer.
For that reason alone, Twitter would want to keep it away from UberMedia.
One more reason to have interest in TweetDeck: Founder Iain Dodsworth has told us in the past that he has ideas for how Twitter could be making money. Twitter could use another fresh mind attacking that problem.
