Yahoo Video pushes play again
on Reuters
by Paul Bond, June 2, 2006
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Looking to close the gap with upstart YouTube -- the Internet's top destination for viewing videos -- Yahoo Inc. has unveiled the latest version of a video search product that it launched 18 months ago.
The retooling of Yahoo Video, at video.yahoo.com, simplifies the finding, sharing, rating, saving and indexing of millions of online clips and, perhaps most importantly, makes it easy to upload the kind of user-generated content that has made YouTube an Internet sensation.
Yahoo launched its video search product in December 2004 and a year later began highlighting the clips that were most popular, immediately making the site "stickier," with users staying on it longer and viewing more pages.
"What we saw is that a little bit of programming goes a long way," said Jason Zajac, general manager of social media at Yahoo.
The latest revamp expands on the premise and in doing so mirrors YouTube in many ways, including allowing its users to complain about copyright infringements or other breaches of law or, for that matter, taste.
But Yahoo intends to differentiate itself from its young competitor in one important way: turning a profit.
"From Day 1, we were committed to creating an environment friendly to advertisers," Zajac said. For now, the focus is on branded advertising, though Zajac said it gradually will get more targeted.
Discussions are under way for partners to supply premium content that Yahoo can sell ads against, and then split the revenue with the rights-holders.
While Yahoo maintains its relationships with the likes of Viacom Inc. and Time Warner Inc. -- a "featured" clip at the new site Thursday was a "Superman Returns" trailer from Warner Bros. Pictures -- the most obvious change is the attention lavished on amateurs.
"We spent a lot of time with independent creators," said Zajac, "and their biggest goal is to be found."
Last month, according to Nielsen//NetRatings, YouTube boasted 12.51 million unique visitors, compared with just 2.63 million unique visitors at Yahoo Video. While visitors spent an average 24 minutes with YouTube, they spent only 14 minutes at Yahoo Video.
by Paul Bond, June 2, 2006
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Looking to close the gap with upstart YouTube -- the Internet's top destination for viewing videos -- Yahoo Inc. has unveiled the latest version of a video search product that it launched 18 months ago.The retooling of Yahoo Video, at video.yahoo.com, simplifies the finding, sharing, rating, saving and indexing of millions of online clips and, perhaps most importantly, makes it easy to upload the kind of user-generated content that has made YouTube an Internet sensation.
Yahoo launched its video search product in December 2004 and a year later began highlighting the clips that were most popular, immediately making the site "stickier," with users staying on it longer and viewing more pages.
"What we saw is that a little bit of programming goes a long way," said Jason Zajac, general manager of social media at Yahoo.
The latest revamp expands on the premise and in doing so mirrors YouTube in many ways, including allowing its users to complain about copyright infringements or other breaches of law or, for that matter, taste.
But Yahoo intends to differentiate itself from its young competitor in one important way: turning a profit.
"From Day 1, we were committed to creating an environment friendly to advertisers," Zajac said. For now, the focus is on branded advertising, though Zajac said it gradually will get more targeted.
Discussions are under way for partners to supply premium content that Yahoo can sell ads against, and then split the revenue with the rights-holders.
While Yahoo maintains its relationships with the likes of Viacom Inc. and Time Warner Inc. -- a "featured" clip at the new site Thursday was a "Superman Returns" trailer from Warner Bros. Pictures -- the most obvious change is the attention lavished on amateurs.
"We spent a lot of time with independent creators," said Zajac, "and their biggest goal is to be found."
Last month, according to Nielsen//NetRatings, YouTube boasted 12.51 million unique visitors, compared with just 2.63 million unique visitors at Yahoo Video. While visitors spent an average 24 minutes with YouTube, they spent only 14 minutes at Yahoo Video.
posted by Gripplly at
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