Yahoo! News to Offer BBC News Video

December 4, 2006; 01:40 AM
Yahoo! News today began offering BBC News video on its site, through a new agreement with ABC News. Yahoo! News users now have access to approximately 30 video clips of BBC News video each day, including a wide array of videos in the categories of top stories, breaking news, U.S. and world news, sports, business, politics, technology, health and entertainment. The distribution agreement was made with ABC News, which maintains exclusive representation for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for distribution of BBC News on demand broadband and wireless content in North America.

"We are pleased to bring the renowned journalism of the BBC to Yahoo! News, a leading online news service that reaches millions across the world," said Richard Sambrook, director of the BBC's Global News division. "The demand for BBC content in the United States is growing all the time and we believe our expansion on new digital platforms is critically important to helping us meet that demand."

In January 2006, ABC News announced an agreement to become the exclusive representative for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for distribution of BBC News on demand broadband and wireless content in North America. This marks the first time a U.S. news network has joined an international news organization to leverage content offerings, and expands an established relationship between ABC News and the BBC that began in 1994.

"ABC News is committed to expanding the BBC's presence in broadband in the North American market," said Bernard Gershon, senior vice president and general manager, ABC News Digital Media Group. "This is a strong first step that joins the esteemed journalism of the BBC with the innovation of Yahoo News in effort to reach consumers anytime and anywhere."

BBC joins dozens of other leading news broadcasters and publishers on Yahoo! News, including ABC News. All of the video will be available for free to Yahoo! users, and will be advertising-supported.

"The BBC has established itself as an unparalleled global news-gathering organization, and its content will be a tremendous complement to the world class news already available on our site," said Scott Moore, head of news and information, Yahoo! Media Group. "The BBC has a cool factor with younger audiences, a natural fit for Yahoo! News users who are generally younger than audiences at other news organizations."

ABOUT ABC NEWS

With an average television and radio audience of more than 208 million people in a given month, ABC News far surpasses the competition. More than 2,300 affiliate stations broadcast ABC News Radio's global news coverage. ABC News Now, including the 24-hour linear channel and a wide range of video-on-demand programming from all ABC News broadcasts, is currently available to over 27 million Internet users. David Westin was named president of ABC News in March 1997. Bernard Gershon is senior vice president and general manager of the ABC News Digital Media Group, which also includes ABCNEWS.com, ABC News Now, ABC News International, ABC News Productions, and ABC News VideoSource.

ABOUT THE DISNEY-ABC TELEVISION GROUP

Disney-ABC Television Group is home to all of The Walt Disney Company's worldwide entertainment and news television properties. The Group includes the ABC Television Network, Disney Channel's worldwide portfolio of kids' channels, ABC Family and SOAPnet; as well as television production and syndication divisions Touchstone Television, Walt Disney Television Animation, Buena Vista Worldwide Television and Walt Disney Television International. Disney-ABC Television Group also manages the Radio Disney Network in addition to the Company's equity interest in Lifetime Entertainment Services and A&E Television Networks.

ABOUT THE BBC

The BBC is world's biggest broadcast news organization with more journalists in more countries than any other broadcaster. Its international commercial television news channel, BBC World News, which is broadcast in English, is available in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide, reaches 274 million households and has a weekly audience of around 65 million. Its international radio arm, BBC World Service, broadcasts in 33 languages. BBCnews.com delivers news and information to over 20 million users worldwide. Richard Sambrook is director of the BBC's Global News Division with responsibility for all of the BBC's international services on television, radio and online. The deal was negotiated by BBC Worldwide Ltd on behalf of BBC News.

ABOUT YAHOO NEWS

Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com) is the largest news site on the Web. Offering consumers news from dozens of news outlets, and a News Search tool that searches more than 8,000 news sources, Yahoo! News is a leading platform for breaking news, offering up-to-the-minute access to every important story happening. Yahoo! News is part of the globally branded Yahoo! network that reaches hundreds of millions of unique visitors each month.

SOURCE: Yahoo!