Current.tv and Yahoo: Four Channels

Current.tv and Yahoo partner to provide four channels of video content.

SFGate:

"The new partnership promises to be a huge boon for Current TV, which while carried in 30 million homes, is frequently locked in the premium-tier world of some digital cable systems -- a land that might be too pricey for its demographic. With Yahoo's home page attracting 100 million sets of eyeballs a month, Current CEO Joel Hyatt said Tuesday that "our expectation is that this will be an enormous extension of our reach."

ReelPopBlog:

"On a day that saw their stock plummet after a slow down in advertising revenue, Yahoo announced a partnership with Current TV and the launch of four new broadband television channels, each of which will have professional and user-generated content:

• Yahoo Current Buzz -- Madeleine Smith, co-creator of the Daily Show, is working on this one. More details at SFGate.com.
• Yahoo Current Action -- sports programming
• Yahoo Current Driver -- auto stuff
• Yahoo Current Traveler -- for walkabouts"

Boingboing:

"BB: Why is Current TV partnering with Yahoo for this?

Al Gore: Current has pioneered the use of viewer-created programming, and Yahoo has incredible resources with regard to networks, distribution, and community. It just made sense to join forces. The new project will take advantage of Yahoo's worldwide distribution capability on video delivery."

TechCrunch:

"With the popularity of YouTube and the launch of similar video services from every other company, this is a good effort from Yahoo! to raise the quality of video posts and perhaps appeal to a broader audience. Yahoo! video is actually a good service, the videos are of good quality and there is a lot of solid functionality. Yahoo! now has some good video content to give it’s service a bit of a nudge, but this is a highly competitive space so expect more professional video content from everybody over the coming few months."

LostRemote:

"So why did Yahoo partner up with Current as opposed to all those other user-video sites out there? “Current focuses on original content that isn’t just ripped from other sites,” said Yahoo’s vice president of social media Jason Zajac."

PaidContent:

"This is Yahoo’s umpteenth foray into online video, none of which have been wildly successful. But this seems among the biggest it has done till now…this is the first such branded advertising channel for Yahoo, and others will probably come down the line, Zajac mentioned."

Business Week:

"Hyatt and Zajac won't talk numbers, and it's not likely Gore & Co. are making money. But these are early times. Hyatt says more announcements are coming, including one from more traditional outlets, like satellite or cable operators interested in putting some user-generated content on the tube. Certainly, revolutions have started with less firepower than one-third of a country's TV sets and a hot new deal with a major Internet player. Now, if only Al Gore TV could scare up some excitement. "