Can you provide some examples? I'm curious.
I was thinking about the same thing when reading the comments on TechCrunch: there is a big following that would buy it in big part because it's from TechCrunch. Or let's say that, in all these cases, the blogs are used as a great advertising platform.
You can't blame them, building a following is hard work too.
Through is blog/twitter he's managed to associate himself with all things "geek" and found an audience who will buy his work.