Report: Yahoo Considers Creating Its Own Version of YouTube

[Alex Co]

Report: Yahoo Considers Creating Its Own Version of YouTube

Yahoo is said to be developing its own video sharing platform to rival YouTube, and is allegedly even planning to poach the biggest YouTube stars to make it work.

Fed up with YouTube's changes and issues? You might have a new alternative coming soon, as web entity Yahoo is said to be developing its own video sharing platform to rival Google's. In a report over on Re/Code [http://recode.net/2014/03/28/ready-for-marissas-closeup-yahoo-is-considering-creating-its-own-youtube-and-poaching-youtube-stars/], it states that not only is Yahoo planning on developing its own video network, but it's also set to lure YouTube's biggest stars and networks to showcase their stuff on its platform. According to the report, Yahoo is targeting to take advantage of the complaints piling up from video producers and networks regarding YouTube's revenue scheme. It claims that Yahoo executives have approached YouTube video makers and network owners and offered them better revenue economics either by improving ad revenue or by offering guaranteed ad rates for videos. In addition to that, Yahoo is also said to offer extensive marketing even on its home page, and as well as allowing video producers the capability to sell ads along with Yahoo's own sales force.

Allegedly, Yahoo aims to launch the platform in the next few months, but there is one difference in Yahoo's approach. It's said that Yahoo won't be copying YouTube's open platform that lets users upload 100 hours of content every minute to the network; and is instead, interested in "cherry-picking" popular and more professional YouTube offerings -- at least for now. However, one source inside Yahoo states that the company might open the platform further, though at an unspecified time frame.

It's important to note that Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer -- who was a former executive at Google -- is supposedly the one pushing for the new video platform. Given how she used to work for Google, Yahoo might have a fighting chance at succeeding where others have failed.

At the time of this writing, Yahoo has not responded to comments regarding the report.

For viewers and video producers, are you looking for an alternative to YouTube or will Yahoo fall flat on its face since YouTube is just too big to even be challenged? Also, if this does come true, what does Yahoo need to do in order to take away some of YouTube's one billion views per month -- and the network's premiere producers?

Source: Re/Code [http://recode.net/2014/03/28/ready-for-marissas-closeup-yahoo-is-considering-creating-its-own-youtube-and-poaching-youtube-stars/]

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[MeChaNiZ3D]

If they get the content on there, and I don't see why they shouldn't unless contracts become exclusive, and the ad improvements they're talking about don't fuck up the experience, I'd use it. Google has done nothing but shit with Youtube recently (G+ and channel backgrounds) and I'd be happy for an alternative. But you do need comparable content, and I don't expect them to get it.

 

[Frezzato]

YahooTube eh? I'd watch it, seeing how Yahoo already some of its own shows, including the web show Burning Love [https://screen.yahoo.com/burning-love/], which is hilarious by the way.

 

[dragongit]

yes because it worked so well when Microsoft tried to corner the search engine market with Bing. I wonder how many people are using that... I should ask Google.

 

[weirdee]

Although Yahoo has been the late guy to the party for a lot of the previous years, they might actually have a good shot at this if they aim for some actual quality and offer themselves as a haven from random mandatory strip searches (aka filing pre emptive claims that even the owner isn't aware of and accepting requests for takedowns from anybody as long as they kind of look like the owner in the anonymous form, which oddly enough allows spelling their own name wrong, instead of actually verifying that they are who they claim to be instead of a random troll posing as them). Youtube is kind of becoming the Internet Explorer figure, in that it technically works, and lots of people use it because it became dominant in the market, but mostly because it's there, and not because it is being run properly.

 

[Glaice]

Youtube elite ay? Not interested Yahoo, let us know when us peons can upload video content.

 

[Genocidicles]

Well they're welcome to try. They already have the perfect template for success by looking at Youtube before Google bought it.

 

[Eliwood10]

Judging by the mess that is the Tumblr video player, this idea is doomed to fail.

 

[Ratty]

Sure, a little healthy competition would be very good for us users. We've already seen the tip of what Google is willing to push when they've got a virtual monopoly.

 

[Avaholic03]

Pointless....what market would they be catering to... the market for people who don't want youtube?

Look Yahoo even Google tried that (and google is hands down far more technically competent and financially robust than you). They wound up deciding to just buy youtube since the cost to build up Google Viudeo would have taken far more time and cash than would be worth.

yes because it worked so well when Microsoft tried to corner the search engine market with Bing. I wonder how many people are using that... I should ask Google.

It's all about timing. Lately YouTube has been making some really poor choices on both sides of their service.

For content producers, they're getting screwed by content ID hits and other poorly implemented systems like the Google+ integration. A lot of them are pretty unhappy with YouTube and might be pretty willing to jump ship (especially now with Twitter/Reddit/Facebook etc. to help their viewers to find them on the new service).

For viewers, well, does anyone think the last few changes to YouTube have helped the experience? I'd gladly switch to a Yahoo service if it was the way YouTube was a few years ago.

Twitch and Blip have already shown that it doesn't take a massive initial investment to offer streaming video service. A company like Yahoo should have no problem meeting that initial barrier to entry.

The reason Bing didn't usurp Google was because the Google search engine is still the best (hell, a lot of times Bing just links to Google search results). Their timing was terrible. A better case study would be Firefox and Chrome taking over the browser market from IE despite the monopoly that IE had initially.

 

[martyrdrebel27]

this isn't going to end well for yahoo. whatever, i like seeing things crash and burn.

 

[RJ Dalton]

Well, I won't say I disapprove of competition, but getting it going will be extremely difficult. It will at least be interesting to see what happens. Possibly in a morbid, train-wreck kind of way, but still!

 

[CpT_x_Killsteal]

This could be good. If they make the pre-google youtube their template for this new site, then it could work amazingly.

 

[Alex Co]

Pointless....what market would they be catering to... the market for people who don't want youtube?

Look Yahoo even Google tried that (and google is hands down far more technically competent and financially robust than you). They wound up deciding to just buy youtube since the cost to build up Google Viudeo would have taken far more time and cash than would be worth.

yes because it worked so well when Microsoft tried to corner the search engine market with Bing. I wonder how many people are using that... I should ask Google.

It's all about timing. Lately YouTube has been making some really poor choices on both sides of their service.

For content producers, they're getting screwed by content ID hits and other poorly implemented systems like the Google+ integration. A lot of them are pretty unhappy with YouTube and might be pretty willing to jump ship (especially now with Twitter/Reddit/Facebook etc. to help their viewers to find them on the new service).

For viewers, well, does anyone think the last few changes to YouTube have helped the experience? I'd gladly switch to a Yahoo service if it was the way YouTube was a few years ago.

Twitch and Blip have already shown that it doesn't take a massive initial investment to offer streaming video service. A company like Yahoo should have no problem meeting that initial barrier to entry.

The reason Bing didn't usurp Google was because the Google search engine is still the best (hell, a lot of times Bing just links to Google search results). Their timing was terrible. A better case study would be Firefox and Chrome taking over the browser market from IE despite the monopoly that IE had initially.

This post nails it. As someone who's heavily entrenched in YouTube and how it works, they are making a ton of odd moves that might force some people to jump ship. And as mentioned, with Twitter, Reddit and social media now being used heavily, producers will have little trouble reminding their subscribers where to reach and watch them.

I'm honestly very curious to this. If it works as intended, I wouldn't mind looking into it and such.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

Cool, just take a look at Google to know what not to do before starting.

Hell if they create a halfway decent copyright system compared to the broken POS that is now Youtube you could certainly attract more of the 'indie' crowd. (I know copyright laws will prevent them from creating an exelent system, but nearly anything would be better then what the current Google system is).

 

[kajinking]

Sure, a little healthy competition would be very good for us users. We've already seen the tip of what Google is willing to push when they've got a virtual monopoly.

A very good point, it won't take a massive beating to get Google to lay off Youtube but even a little scare could help get them to cater more towards the customers. Besides this new service could even be pretty good, not gonna say it will "kill" youtube or some other nonsense but if Youtube keeps pushing this Google+ crap I could seriously see myself browsing another website if it keeps going downhill.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Normally this would be a very dumb idea because you can't get any traction in the shadow of such giants, but with Google being so fucking hostile to all content creators this Yahoo thing would instantly get picked up.

The only question now is if they can get a good enough system going before Google fixes it's shit.

 

[TitanAura]

Honestly I don't care who does it, I just want a valid Youtube competitor to exist because Youtube needs to be brought down a few pegs. Then and only then will they bother to improve their horrendous automated policies that destroy their own user and content base.

Blip has been an excellent alternative for content creators for quite some time but doesn't seem to have the same level of appeal for the average user to be a 'competitor' per say, but Yahoo might stand a chance.

 

[Karadalis]

If they can pull it off some competition would do wonders... right now youtube still has a monopoly here and can piss all over its content creators to please the corporate overlords.

Yahoo doesnt even have to beat google.. they just have to stirr up the waters a bit.