Yahoo aspires to mirror the success of Netflix's House of Cards
Yahoo is to bring a number of "emblematic" TV shows to its online audience, as it looks to increase its original content and mirror the success Netflix has achieved with its streaming of House of Cards.
Dawn Airey, the former UK TV executive who is now Yahoo senior vice president, Europe, Middle East and Africa, said the US internet company would be "producing and commissioning some shows of significance quite quickly".
"When it comes to original content, one of my observations of the business is we have to do a few more emblematic big things that really stand out," Airey told the Guardian's Changing Media Summit on Wednesday. "If you look at what Netflix did with House of Cards [it was] very, very, very clever."
According to Airey, Yahoo spends around $500m a year on original content, which includes original programmes such as the US web series Burning Love and Ghost Ghirls, along with digital magazines Yahoo Food and Yahoo Tech.
By commissioning and producing more of its own content, Yahoo is competing against the likes of Hulu and Netflix, which received a raft of Emmy awards nominations for its exclusive online streaming of the hit show House of Cards.
Airey, who previously held senior roles at ITV, Sky and Channel 5, would not divulge specific details of upcoming shows but they are expected to mark a significant step up in quality from the content Yahoo has hitherto produced and commissioned.
The shows are expected to launch with a global audience in mind and Airey said there would not be an increase in spend on UK-specific original content.
In the UK, Yahoo's commissions include shows such as The Shizzle, which features Made in Chelsea star Jamie Laing interviewing celebrities.
Airey added: "In EMEA as a region, our investment in original content will probably not see a huge step change from where we are. I am not about to spend a vast amount of money on original production for example in the UK."
Yahoo has a global audience of 27 million unique visitors a month and, according to Airey, its audience has an "insatiable appetite" for video, which would be expanded.
Questioned whether Yahoo would continue to have an interest in acquiring sports rights, after losing out to News UK over Premier League online clips last year, Airey said Yahoo would "look at everything that comes up".
Yahoo spent around $500m a year on original content, this includes programmes such as the US web series Burning Love and Ghost Ghirls, and digital magazines Yahoo food and Yahoo tech. This suggest how wide Yahoo has spread. It is said Yahoo has a global audience of 27 million unique visitors a month, they audience has expanded majorly and has allowed Yahoo to become successful.
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