Yahoo! keeps cutting deals with media companies in an effort to diversify its content portfolio. The latest partner is NBC Sports, which will bring its sports reportage and expertise to Yahoo! Sports. The deal is similar to the wide-ranging deal Yahoo! cut with ABC News in late 2011, as well as the deal Yahoo! cut with CNBC earlier this year for financial news and analysis. Both CNBC and ABC News had partnered with Yahoo! previously, only to see those deals end when the contracts in place ended.
As with the ABC and CNBC deals, the two companies will split what they offer, with Yahoo! offering a powerhouse digital site and technology, and NBC providing top-notch content, including original videos featuring talent like Bob Costas. Yahoo!’s fantasy sports platform–already the market leader–will power NBC’s own fantasy product Rotoworld.
The two companies will maintain separate websites and talent, with some sharing, particularly around big games and premium digital content offerings. It still isn’t entirely clear what new Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer’s views on content are for the company, but so far, she has not only kept the company’s partnership deals intact, but continues to add to them, as with the rebranding of the CBS entertainment newsmagazine “The Insider” to “OMG! Insider,” named after Yahoo!’s gossip site.
More information on the deal, after the jump.
Yahoo! Sports, NBC Sports Group Team Up
SUNNYVALE, Calif. and NEW YORK – Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO) and the NBC Sports Group today announced a content and promotional deal combining Yahoo! Sports’ original reporting expertise, coverage of big events, Rivals college content and popular fantasy sports products with NBC Sports Group’s growing digital assets and significant television promotion and integration. This alliance of two of the most trusted brands in sports will become the daily habit of fans looking for an all-star lineup of digital and on-air experiences.
While Yahoo! Sports and the NBC Sports Group will continue to maintain separate sites and editorial control of their respective newsrooms and digital properties, they will collaborate on premium sports news and events coverage both online and on the air. Yahoo! Sports’ popular products will also be included in the NBC Sports Group’s digital assets.
Key features of the alliance include:
Editorial Depth: The combined talent roster of Yahoo! Sports and NBC Sports features a deep bench of award-winning reporters and commentators, such as NBC’s Bob Costas and Mike Florio; Yahoo!’s Dan Wetzel and Adrian Wojnarowski. Yahoo! Sports’ renowned investigative reporting will be featured on NBC TV, giving fans multiple-platform delivery.
Original Video Programming Concepts: Yahoo! Sports and NBC Sports will work together to develop original made-for-web video programs that will appear on both Yahoo! Sports and NBCSports.com featuring fan favorites from among the award-winning editorial teams’ rosters, including:
NBC Sports host and Emmy Award-winning commentator Bob Costas: video sports news interviews and editorials.
Football Night in America’s Tony Dungy & Rodney Harrison: video segments during NFL season.
Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk on NBCSports.com: daily, weekday NFL web show, Pro Football Talk Live.
Rivals on Recruiting: weekly college recruiting show with Rivals and NBC Sports talent.
Live Streaming: Yahoo! Sports will link to and promote the NBC Sports Live Extra video player. Fans will be able to watch live streams of some of NBC’s biggest events, starting with Sunday Night Football and NHL Game of the Week. Live content from NBC Sports Network will continue to be distributed through NBC Sports Live Extra on a TV Everywhere basis.
Fantasy Sports: Yahoo! Sports, the leading fantasy platform, will become the exclusive fantasy game provider of NBC Sports’ Rotoworld, the premiere fantasy news and information site. This will include Yahoo! Sports’ fantasy experiences for football, baseball, hockey, soccer, College Bowl Pick’em and Tourney Pick’em.
Rivals.com: The college sports destination will power recruiting and college sporting news for NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports Regional Networks.
NBC Sports Regional Networks: The authentic, local sports properties will serve as Yahoo’s preferred content provider in relevant markets, and integrate Yahoo! Sports’ team pages, fantasy experts and sports talent.
NBC’s Alli Sports: Providing youth-focused, action-sports video and other content to Yahoo!
“Passionate fans need news and analysis about their favorite teams in real time, and they want access to that information no matter where they are. We’re thrilled to combine Yahoo!’s fantasy offerings, product innovation and editorial authority with NBC’s broadcast coverage of live sports events and award-winning on-air talent. We think our users will love the result,” said Ken Fuchs vice president of Yahoo! Global Media and head of Yahoo! Sports and Games.
“The complementary nature of this partnership is unmatched in digital sports media,” said Mark Lazarus, Chairman, NBC Sports Group. “Through our growing television and digital platforms, the Yahoo! Sports partnership dramatically expands the digital reach of NBC Sports around the biggest sporting events. We are committed to continually growing this alliance for the benefit of both parties, our sports-property partners, and, most importantly, sports fans.”
Yahoo! Sports and NBC Sports will also provide scalable advertising solutions to reach engaged audiences through distinctive opportunities and sponsorships. The alliance will include the following sites: Yahoo! Sports, the Rivals Network, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports Regional Networks,, Golf Channel.com, Rotoworld.com and Allisports.com. NBCSports.com will continue to provide sports content for NBCNews.com.