Yahoo shines spotlight on TV network
The Web portal strikes an agreement to promote family-friendly TV programs, the latest result of its push to become an online partner for traditional media companies.
Yahoo will feature information about Pax TV programs on its Yahoo TV site, an online guide for the day's shows. Pax, in turn, will direct viewers to Yahoo as part of its "Watch and Win Sweepstakes," airing commercials that tell people to log on to the portal for more information about the contest.
For Pax, Yahoo will become the online component of the promotional blitz surrounding its upcoming season of programs. The company also plans to use direct mail, magazines and outdoor advertising to promote its new season and sweepstakes.
Yahoo has been trying to cast itself as the perfect partner for traditional companies looking to market their content online. For example, the company recently struck a deal with Sony to market its products and services throughout the Web giant's site. Yahoo also agreed to distribute Sony and Vivendi Universal's Pressplay, the online music service formerly known as Duet.
The Pax TV agreement "is an excellent example of how traditional media companies can work with Yahoo to reach new audiences," Doug Hirsch, senior director of Yahoo Movies and TV, said in a statement.
Paul Wang, the executive vice president of Pax TV, said the company hopes Yahoo will help it attract female viewers between the ages of 25 and 54. Wang said the company chose Yahoo over rivals such as AOL Time Warner because it has no affiliation with other big media entities.
"We did contact AOL, but they're already tied to another media conglomerate and this seemed more appealing," Wang said in an interview.