Programming Entertainment and News for a Broadband Audience

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Programming Entertainment and News for a
Broadband Audience

• 6/07/2005

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Agenda

• Y! Is an Aggregator, But What Do We Do Thats
  Unique in The Entertainment Space?
• Why the Focus on Entertainment?
• Yahoo! Broadband Portals?
• What Kinds of Content Are Successful in the
  Broadband Portal Space?
• How Has Citizen Journalism Impacted Our Content?

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So Much RSS, So Little Time
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Y! News Most Popular Stories
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Yahoo! Buzz Log
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The Apprentice Behind-the-Scenes Video
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Community Photography Flickr
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User-Generated Content Flickr
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User-Generated Content Y! 360
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Top Media and Web Site Usage Drivers

• The Online Publishing Association recently
  conducted an online user engagement study that
  named and ranked 22 experiences that drive people
  to interact with digital media and Web sites.
• "Entertains and absorbs me" is the 1 driver of
  site usage.

source The Online Publishers Association (OPA)
2004 Online User Engagement study.
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Online Content Spending 2004

• Spending on Entertainment/Lifestyles content grew
  a remarkable 90 from 2003 to 2004 from 217.6
  million in 2003 to 413.5 million in 2004!
• Entertainment overtook Business/Investment
  content as the 2 paid content category and is on
  track assume the top position should its current
  rate of growth continue.

source The Online Publishers Association (OPA)
2004 Paid Online Content U.S. Market Spending
Report.
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Yahoo! Broadband PortalsSBC Y! DSL Portal,
Rogers Y!, BT Y!, etc
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Today Module Details
More links to related text, full coverage,
photo slideshows, video
100 of Today module content is hand-selected by
editors

• 30-50 of content items have an inline video

Editors program 10-14 pieces daily

• Quick Facts
• Avg content package runs for 8 hours and
  receives 60,000 clicks
• Highest performing content packages to date1 -
  VIDEO 'I Looked Like a Monster' 493k clicks
  (03/16/05)
• 2 - VIDEO Ashlee Simpson Booed at the Orange
  Bowl 430k clicks (01/05/05)
• 3 - Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston Split Up
  408k clicks (01/08/05)

Rotating primary content module with large image
and combination of text features and video
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Winning Mix of Today Module Content

• 12 Content Packages Programmed Each Day
• 6-8 hard news (with accompanying photos, and
  video)
• 3-4 entertainment (e.g. celebrity stories, movie
  previews, TV picks)
• 1-2 technology, health or science (with
  accompanying photos, video)
• 0-1 Y! network original items (e.g. Ask Yahoo!,
  Buzz Log, Tech Tuesday)
• 0-1 strategic internal promotions (Y! Shopping
  What Stars are Buying this Holiday Season? Y!
  Autos Which Car is Right for You?)

Content Types Appearing Daily in Today Module
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MSN Portal

• Rotating primary content module with large image
  and combination of text features and video

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Broadband Content Packages?

• Content packages are created by tying together
  related
• News Feature Articles
• Video Clips and Live Video
• Photos and Photo Slideshows
• Y! Network Content Services (e.g. search
  results, TV picks, movie times, music videos,
  stock quotes, salary calculator, etc.)

More links to related text, full coverage,
photo slideshows, video

• VIDEO Ashlee Simpson Booed at Orange Bowl
• 2 content package to date with 430k clicks in
  just 8 hours on 01/05/05
• 30-50 of content packages contain an inline
  video

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Fingers on The Pulse

• Track topics popularity via
• Blogdex
• Yahoo! Buzz Log http//buzz.yahoo.com
• Yahoo! News Most Viewed articles
  http//news.yahoo.com/i/1776
• ? Most Emailed articles -- http//news.yahoo.com/i
  /964/0
• Most Recommended articles -- http//news.yahoo.com
  /i/1760
• User feedback
• Real time click-stats

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Where Does Today Module Content Come From?

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Make Readers Feel Like Theyre in on Something

• Answer questions on their minds who is Paris
  Latsis?

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Give the Readers a 360 Degree Experience

• MTV Video Music Awards package contains links
  showing photos, video highlights, as well as the
  winners music videos.
• Brings the event to life better than a flat text
  article announcing the winners.

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Invite the Users to See Something They May
Otherwise Miss

• Package about Serenas outfit has a link inviting
  the users to see the outfit

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Finding The Unexpected

• Not always based on articles. Can be inspired
  by photo, slideshow, or video

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Get a Sneak Peak at Gowns
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Dont Be Afraid to Learn from (and Link to) Blogs

• Sometimes blogs will capture the best content
  Defamer, Gawker
• Opinionated, gossipy, chatty, celeb embarrassment

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Show Them Things They May Have Wished Theyd
TiVod
4 - VIDEO Anna Nicole's Performance at the
AMAs 350k clicks (11/15/2004)

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But Avoid Spoilers for TiVo Fans

• Survivor package reveals some leading
  information, but leaves it ambiguous (in the
  photo, headline, and blurb text) who won.

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Defamer, Gawker, Go Fug Yourself etc
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Rumors and Gossip
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Pitfalls of Gossip
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Booing is Best
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Make Non-Entertainment Topics Entertaining
Withhold Some Info Which Cars Are the
Most-Stolen Vehicles?
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Bring Colorful Details and Quotes Into Headlines

• Aniston 'I'm Just Hoping I'll Get Through the
  Night'
• Pre-break-up with Brad, but at a time when
  readers suspected trouble in the marriage.
• Aniston was actually crying about the end of
  Friends and that was also what her quote was in
  reference to.

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Use Numbered Lists

• ?10 Hottest Convertibles
• ?4 Stupid Tax Strategies
• ?6 Ways to Ask Your Boss for a Raise
• ?8 Tips for a Sexy Holiday

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Nature and Science Can Be Entertaining!
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Top Live Video Events

• LIVE VIDEO New Pope Elected
• 100k clicks in just 2 hours,

• LIVE VIDEO The Peterson Verdict
• 20k clicks in just 20 minutes,

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User Feedback on SBC Y! Today Module

• Most frequent responses of 430 open-ended user
  comments in January 2004 Today module user
  survey
• Overwhelming number of respondents wrote in to
  say they like the Today module the way it is,
  citing it as a primary news source and/or a
  useful glimpse at todays top stories (131 of
  430)
• I really enjoy it, because it brings to my
  attention items that I may not have otherwise
  found on my own. I value this service and use it
  regularly!
• Really enjoy your news clips. When I can find
  what I want to watch in the Today module and then
  watch it immediately, I am simply elated beyond
  belief.
• Some respondents wrote in with content
  complaints
• Too much fluff (23 of 430)
• I really dont like the excessive coverage of
  sensationalistic entertainment stories, i.e.
  Janet Jackson/Superbowl Stunt. I turned off the
  module so my kids wouldnt see it.