Logitech has the blues: Announces purchase of Blue Microphones for US$117 million

Logitech, one of the world’s leading PC peripheral manufacturers, has announced that they will acquire the respected audio manufacturer Blue. While neither Logitech or Blue have publicly revealed the sale price, The Verge has reported that the sale was for US$117 million in cash.

“Logitech’s acquisition of Blue Microphones will accelerate our entry into a growing market, and offers another way for us to help bring people’s passions (from music to blogging) to life.” Said Logitech CEO Bracken Darrell. “Joining with Blue is an adjacent opportunity for us – a new way to grow – with additional synergies related to our existing gaming, PC webcam and audio categories.  It’s exciting!”

While Blue make a few mid-range enthusiast headphones, they are best known for their line-up of microphones that cover the spectrum from entry-level-enthusiast to professional recording equipment. Their upper-tier microphones have been used by artists such as Sting, Bob Dylan, and Imagine Dragons. But within the technology field, they have a reputation of producing gear that produces a better-quality recording than their competitors at the same price range. This is why their Blue Yeti microphone has been one of the go-to recommendations for streamers and YouTubers.

After an acquisition, fans are often concerned about what it means for the future of the products they love. Looking at Logitech’s portfolio — which includes Ultimate Ears (e.g. UE Boom), Jaybird, and Astro Gaming — we think that business will continue as usual for Blue products while benefiting from Logitech’s distribution network and scale. Logitech has had minimal interference in the running of these other brands (at least publicly), and we see no reason why it would be any different this time.

Blue CEO John Maier said “With Logitech’s vast resources and incredible reach, Blue will be on a much bigger stage from the beginning. The end result is fulfilling our ultimate purpose – helping as many of our users find and amplify their voice as we can!”