In February, 2008, Yahoo acquired Maven Networks for $160 million. Maven is a supplier of online video players and video advertising tools.
A year and a half later, Yahoo is already ditching it. The company has said that it is planning to “wind down its customer base.”
“This decision will allow us to focus our resources on the continued improvement of our core video offerings, such as enhancing the consumer video experience on Yahoo!,” the company said in a statement. “Since Q4 2008, we have closed or announced our intention to close, nearly twenty Yahoo! services– such as Yahoo! 360, GeoCities, My Web and Yahoo! Briefcase. We continue to evaluate our portfolio of products and services on a regular basis, and plan to share details of further changes with people who use our products in the months ahead.”
Maven has been integrated into both Yahoo’s video player and the Yahoo video advertising platform. It is unclear what will be used as an alternative at this point.
Yahoo’s video ad products include in-player video advertising (pre- and post-roll), In-banner video advertising, and original video content sponsorships. They also offer opportunities for publishers.
The company says that while video initiatives are still a priority for its consumer and advertising experiences, they are increasing investment in some areas while scaling back in others.
Other video-related products that Yahoo has parted with include Y!Live and Jumpcut.
