Sources tell VideoInk.com that Viacom is the "likely buyer" of Defy Media; the MCN said to be seeking a purchase price of around $500 million, or what Disney paid for Maker Studios a couple years ago. Viacom is already a minority investor. One of the big (and early) MCNs, with brands that include SMOSH, ClevverTV and gURL, Defy brands get 750 million unique views from 80 million visitors. Defy declined comment or confirmation

The Fine Bros’, two YouTube celebrities, have rescinded their trademark claim on the word “react.” What’s more, “The duo confirmed that it would shutter a new ‘React World’ initiative before it had even taken off,” ars technica reports. “As announced, React World would have allowed other video makers to pay the Fine Bros to license their react videos’ ‘format.’”  

Having lots of subscribers and lots of likes helps. But it can only take you so far

A sweet ad from the NFL celebrates the 50 year history of the big game and big parties, which invariably has led to Super Bowl Babies. Some of them sing in probably-going-to-be-big Super Bowl spot

The NFL allowed coaches and players to use video on the Microsoft Surface tablets rather than just still photos for the Pro Bowl, which apparently was played in Honolulu on Sunday, though why coaches would want to analyze videos for use in a game nobody really cares about is a good question. Videos were available during pre-season games last summer.  

Alphabet, the company formerly known as Google, releases its fourth-quarter earnings today, the first reporting split into two segments: For Google and “Other Bets,” the wide accounting bucket for eight other subsidiaries.