Since Yahoo's failed attempt to acquire Dailymotion, it became increasingly clear that we will one day see the rise of a potential true competitor for YouTube. According to a new report, Yahoo might be looking to start its own video portal, after information claiming the web giant is courting top YouTube starts.
Apparently, Yahoo is hoping these top YouTube starts will jump ship from YouTube to its own platform. However, this won't be easy, for it is possible these YouTube starts are looking at the possibility of Yahoo plans failing and leaving them high and dry. Yahoo seemed to have planned for this after the same report stated that the company is open to giving some YouTube stars the chance to make more money.
Yahoo is even planning to offer some YouTube stars the option to have their videos placed on Yahoo's front page, even if the video is not exclusive. If Yahoo play's its cards correctly, this plan could work, but the company would have to do more than just grabbing up YouTube stars and offering them the chance to make more money, according to Recode.
Platform won't be open to all
When the platform launches, Yahoo won't open it to the general public. The web giant is simply seeking to cherry pick the best content to appear on its platform at first, but as time goes by, everyone will have the option to create and publish their own videos with the hoping of making something on the side.
It is not yet clear if Yahoo plans to start its own video portal from scratch or purchase Vimeo, a platform that is already established. Since Dailymotion is out of the picture, and the French government won't allow Orange to sell it to an American company, it is clear that Yahoo options are limited.
Can Yahoo take on YouTube?
Too early to tell, because, at this point, YouTube is on top of its game with practically no competition. For Yahoo to compete effectively without being just another video portal, it would need the right content to drive visitors, and a design that is user friendly. The web giant must also try to partner with smartphone makers to make its own video portal the default option on their devices to help drive usage away from YouTube.
It's going to be tough, but since YouTube is the only big dog in the business, the possibility of a contender is quite high.
