ABC News, Yahoo Announce Partnership

NEW YORK - ABC News and Yahoo on Monday unveiled a strategic alliance focused on online news programming designed for the Web.

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Among other things, GoodMorningAmerica.com will launch on Yahoo in a model that is set to allow audiences to continue conversations before, during and after the broadcast.

Yahoo’s and ABC News’ slate of online video programming kicks off Monday with ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos' interview with President Obama live from the White House as part of a new series called Newsmakers.

Yahoo News and ABC News reach a combined audience of more than 100 million people in the U.S. each month on PCs, mobile devices and tablets, the companies said.

“This relationship will give ABC News an unrivaled ability to reach across the Web, combining Yahoo’s vast distribution and cutting-edge technology with our award-winning journalism,” said Ben Sherwood, president of ABC News. “For years, we've proudly proclaimed that more Americans get their news from ABC News than any other source. Going forward, we will greatly expand this leadership by building a connection with a whole new online audience.”

"This unmatched alliance creates a powerful news experience that provides people greater access to compelling news and information, including more original news video online than ever before," they said.

“Yahoo is committed to building the richest set of premium and personalized content experiences for our users," said Ross Levinsohn, executive vp, Americas, here on Monday. "Our deep collaboration with ABC News further strengthens Yahoo! as the No. 1 online news source, greatly enhancing our already robust news content."

Under the new partnership, ABC News content will be prominently integrated into Yahoo News, the Yahoo front page, and other parts of the Yahoo network.

Newsmakers is described as an original interview series that kicks off later in the day with the President Obama interview at 2:35pm. The entire interview will stream live on Yahoo.com and ABCNews.com.

Other original Web shows are Around the World with Christiane Amanpour, which the correspondent said in a press conference will allow to explore key issues that don't always get enough TV exposure, and This Could Be Big, which will glimpse into the future of innovation and will be anchored by Nightline's Bill Weir each week.

"On TV, time is not always your friend," Katie Couric echoed Amanpour in highlighting the opportunity to provide additional news coverage online.

Additional programs will debut in the coming months and throughout 2012, the companies said.

The companies' editorial teams will also work together to develop premium news content and co-produce coverage for major news events. Also, they will have integrated bureaus in New York, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles, with Yahoo editorial staff and content set to appear on air.

The partners will also offer premium online video advertising opportunities.

Email: Georg.Szalai@thr.com
Twitter: @georgszalai