Yahoo, ABC Expand Partnership on Video News

ABC News and Yahoo News have expanded their partnership to share news and video content online, effectively doubling the use of ABC videos by Yahoo and creating a deeper level of editorial collaboration between the two.

Already partners for the past year, ABC News will now be considered the premier provider of video content to Yahoo News. The companies plan expanded daily content packages that include breaking news stories across a variety of categories, as well as additional features and interviews, including video segments from “Good Morning America.”

“We are doubling the amount of video from ABC on Yahoo News,” said Neil Budde, general manager of Yahoo News. “It’s a much tighter partnership and it’s already underway to a large degree. Some of the editorial processes are in place and I’m not sure it’s happened before, to the degree that we are striving for, between two completely independent organizations.”

The expansion of the partnership will become more important as the 2008 U.S. election approaches, which should drive traffic and advertisers, Bernard Gershon, senior VP and general manager of ABC News Digital Media Group told ClickZ.

“I would like to think that this helps prove having high quality branded content works,” said Gershon. “Branded content continues to be recognized on the Internet even with other sources of information. The demand [by] advertisers for high quality video content that is targeted continues to grow. The advertisers’ demand has outstripped the supply of high quality video.”