This is a huge loss for Balmer. Whether or not he’ll admit it is another story…
Yahoo! Inks Ad Syndication Deal With Google
The WSJ reported that Google and Yahoo! have inked a non-exclusive ad deal
Yahoo said it will display some ads sold by Google in an agreement estimated to generate $800 million in annual revenue. In the first 12 months following implementation, Yahoo expects the deal to generate an estimated $250 million to $450 million in incremental operating cash flow.
Both companies have agreed to “delay implementing the deal for up to three and a half months while regulators review it.” The deal can be terminated at any point in time, but if it is terminated within 24 months Yahoo! will owe Google $250 million.
The partnership is only for the US and Canadian markets, but expands beyond Yahoo!’s search results into Yahoo! content ads and even the syndicated Yahoo! Publisher Network. Given Yahoo!’s poor ad relevancy and that they are reselling Google ads, how will the Yahoo! Publisher Network ever gain marketshare from AdSense?
Beyond the incremental revenue stream, this also gives Google another opportunity to spy on web users who use their largest competitor – allowing Google to get a better view of the average web user and making it easier for Google to clone and beat Yahoo! in any market where Yahoo! leads.
Here is Google’s take
