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[Guevara]

Yahoo Inc. YHOO -4.00% is raising its ambitions in online video, with plans to acquire the kind of original programming that typically winds up on high-end cable-TV networks and streaming services like Netflix, NFLX -0.31% people briefed on the company's plans said.

The company is close to ordering four Web series, these people said. And unlike in years past, Yahoo isn't looking for short-form Web originals, but rather 10-episode, half-hour comedies with per-episode budgets ranging from $700,000 to a few million dollars, the people said.The projects being considered would be led by writers or directors with experience in television. "They want to blow it out big time," said one of the people briefed about the plans.

Yahoo Chief Executive Marissa Mayer is hoping to show off TV-caliber content to advertisers on April 28 when Yahoo holds its "NewFront"–event that is Internet companies' answer to the so-called upfront ad-sales presentations made by TV networks each spring.

Yahoo declined to comment.

The company is competing in a costly and crowded market for top-notch original TV series. Besides a broad array of cable outlets vying for those shows, new entrants like Netflix Inc., Amazon.com Inc. AMZN -1.93% and Hulu LLC also have entered the fray.

"They're looking at the same type of shows that Netflix and Amazon are eyeing," said a person familiar with the situation.

Ms. Mayer has made online video a centerpiece of her strategy to turn around Yahoo. Yet nearly two years into her tenure as CEO at the Internet portal, Ms. Mayer has yet to show any meaningful progress in an online-advertising market dominated by Google Inc. GOOGL -2.09% and Facebook Inc. FB -1.64% In January, Yahoo said its revenue fell 1.7% from a year earlier in the fourth quarter, minus commissions paid to partners for Web traffic, the company's fourth straight quarter without growth.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles...0001424052702304819004579485820610824060.html

 

[phillipgessert]

Well all it takes is money I guess, but where the heck are they getting so much if it lately?

 

[ComputerMKII]

It's like they don't know what they even want to do anymore.

 

[Bread]

Well I mean they did make Burning Love, which is better than any original programming from Netflix & Amazon...keep making stuff like that, Yahoo.

 

[AlexMogil]

Yahoo looks like they are staying their course: not having any idea what they are doing.

 

[sixteen-bit]

What kind of show would appeal to their demographic? NCIS spinoff?

 

[SwiftDeath]

So like this time next year how many subscriptions will I need to watch all the shows?

 

[Guevara]

So like this time next year how many subscriptions will I need to watch all the shows?

It's going to cost as much as cable did, but instead of giving $80/month to one company you'll give $8/month to ten.

 

[kess]

Judging from the shameless sponsored content on their front page, maybe they can have a documentary about "global cooling", complete with cameos from random commenters.

 

[Goldrush]

After failing to acquire Hulu, this isn't a surprising Plan B.

 

[Mondy]

Ya......Who?

 

[AkuMifune]

Like the 3rd sibling who ends up addicted to heroin trying to keep up with its successful older brothers.

 

[jon bones]

It's like they don't know what they even want to do anymore.

seriously... what an aimless company yahoo has been for the last decade

 

[Jackben]

At this point, what hasn't Yahoo tried to replicate?

Someone get Marissa Mayer on the phone, I've got Big Data to sell!

 

[FLEABttn]

It's going to cost as much as cable did, but instead of giving $80/month to one company you'll give $8/month to ten.

The $8/mo won't last, at that. It's unsustainable.