A group of publishers is expanding a partnership with Internet giant Yahoo to better target online advertising and provide local news to several Yahoo Web sites. The deal between Yahoo and the group of companies including Hearst Newspapers, MediaNews, Cox Newspapers and McClatchy, was announced on Monday to broaden an existing partnership that covers almost 264 papers in 44 states, earlier the contract has included only 176 newspapers from 38 states.
Under the terms of the deal, they would share a common online advertising platform, cross-sell advertisements and share content in a deal that went well beyond a recruitment advertising relationship forged in last November. In a significant modification, the partnership’s scope will now cover all major forms of online advertising instead of focusing primarily on help-wanted ads. These newspapers will also provide more of their stories through Yahoo’s heavily trafficked news, finance and sports sections in an effort to lure more readers to their Web sites.
Sue Decker, head of Yahoo’s Advertiser and Publisher Group, said, “This deal allows them to sell on our advertising inventory and us to sell on their inventory, we are opening up to partners our ad-serving network and that’s a very significant move.” Yahoo’s paid-search technology would be integrated across newspaper sites with an intention to bring in more revenues.
