Yahoo

An Important Message About Yahoo User Security

Thu, 22 Sep 2016 14:29:09 -0400

By Bob Lord, CISO

A recent investigation by Yahoo has confirmed that a copy of certain user account information was stolen from the company’s network in late 2014 by what it believes is a state-sponsored actor. The account information may have included names, email addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, hashed passwords (the vast majority with bcrypt) and, in some cases, encrypted or unencrypted security questions and answers. The ongoing investigation suggests that stolen information did not include unprotected passwords, payment card data, or bank account information; payment card data and bank account information are not stored in the system that the investigation has found to be affected. Based on the ongoing investigation, Yahoo believes that information associated with at least 500 million user accounts was stolen and the investigation has found no evidence that the state-sponsored actor is currently in Yahoo’s network. Yahoo is working closely with law enforcement on this matter.

We are taking action to protect our users:

We are notifying potentially affected users. The content of the email Yahoo is sending to those users will be available at https://yahoo.com/security-notice-content beginning at 11:30 am (PDT).
We are asking potentially affected users to promptly change their passwords and adopt alternate means of account verification.
We invalidated unencrypted security questions and answers so they cannot be used to access an account.
We are recommending that all users who haven’t changed their passwords since 2014 do so.
We continue to enhance our systems that detect and prevent unauthorized access to user accounts.
We are working closely with law enforcement on this matter.

We encourage our users to follow these security recommendations:

Change your password and security questions and answers for any other accounts on which you used the same or similar information used for your Yahoo account.
Review your accounts for suspicious activity.
Be cautious of any unsolicited communications that ask for your personal information or refer you to a web page asking for personal information.
Avoid clicking on links or downloading attachments from suspicious emails.

Additionally, please consider using Yahoo Account Key, a simple authentication tool that eliminates the need to use a password altogether.

An increasingly connected world has come with increasingly sophisticated threats. Industry, government and users are constantly in the crosshairs of adversaries. Through strategic proactive detection initiatives and active response to unauthorized access of accounts, Yahoo will continue to strive to stay ahead of these ever-evolving online threats and to keep our users and our platforms secure.

For more information about this issue and our security resources, please visit the Yahoo Security Issue FAQs page, https://yahoo.com/security-update, which will be up beginning at 12pm (PDT).

Statements in this press release regarding the findings of Yahoo’s ongoing investigation involve potential risks and uncertainties. The final conclusions of the investigation may differ from the findings to date due to various factors including, but not limited to, the discovery of new or additional information and other developments that may arise during the course of the investigation. More information about potential risks and uncertainties of security breaches that could affect the Company’s business and financial results is included under the caption “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2016, which is on file with the SEC and available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov./

https://investor.yahoo.net/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=990570

Yahoo View Now on iPhone

Wed, 21 Sep 2016 12:27:42 -0400

By Vishwa Ranjan, Director of Product Management

Missed last night’s late-night monologue on TV? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with the launch of Yahoo View for iPhone. Featuring Hulu content, the new app offers you free access to the best TV moments, including the most popular clips in comedy, sports, late night, celebrity and news. We’re talking the best highlights from Blackish, Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel – does it get any better?

Download the Yahoo View iOS app here (available in the US only) to check out your favorite TV clips on the go. To watch full episodes, head over to the desktop site at view.yahoo.com. The Android app and mobile web experience will be coming soon.

See You at Advertising Week 2016 in New York!

Mon, 19 Sep 2016 16:26:39 -0400

By Lisa Utzschneider, Chief Revenue Officer, Yahoo

Every year Advertising Week brings together the most passionate leaders across the advertising, media and technology industries. I’m looking forward to joining our partners and my Yahoo colleagues on stage throughout the week.

From a spotlight on the rise of live video to predictions for the future of programmatic, here’s a peek at where Yahoo will be during Advertising Week. And don’t forget to follow us at @YahooAds for real-time updates!

Monday, September 26:

I’m honored to kick off Advertising Week 2016 on the Times Center Stage with Go Live: The Shift to Live Video – a session about what’s driving the demand for live video and how content creators are bringing the biggest events, from sports to finance, to life. Joining me to discuss are Yahoo Finance’s Andy Serwer, Yahoo’s Fantasy Football analyst Liz Loza, and special guest Kenny Gersh from MLB Advanced Media. Additionally, to deep dive into the world of Esports, Yahoo’s Travis Gafford will sit down with basketball star turned Esports entrepreneur Rick Fox, owner of Echo Fox.
Later that day, join me and a panel of top female executives, as we discuss women in leadership during Thoughts from the Other Side of a Shattered Glass Ceiling at Reuters.
Yahoo’s Kathy Kayse will join Tom Salomone from the National Association of Realtors® and David Buklarewicz of Havas Media for a unique take on mastering brand storytelling and share learnings from a top-performing campaign during day one of IAB MIXX at the Crowne Plaza.

Tuesday, September 27:

Hot off Monday night’s presidential debate, Yahoo News Global Anchor Katie Couric will discuss the good, bad and ugly of the 2016 elections with Yahoo’s Matt Bai and political influencers Jamal Simmons and Kristen Soltis Anderson on the Times Center Stage.
Directly following, Katie Couric will head over to The Girls Lounge at The New York Times Building, 15th floor, to sit down with founder Shelley Zalis for a 1:1 conversation.
Native is one of the fastest growing areas of digital advertising, and Kathy Kayse will share tips on how to be an expert during the Native Ad Forum at Reuters.
Yannis Dosios will discuss challenges and opportunities for programmatic advertising at The Rise of the Omnichannel Programmatic Platform at the Times Center Hall.
On the BING Stage, Yahoo News’ Hunter Walker will talk about the intersection of social media and politics on The (Anti) Social Election panel.

Wednesday, September 28:

Tod Sacerdoti and I will kick off the day with a conversation about The Next Era of Programmatic on the Times Center Stage, including big insights from Mediavest | Spark’s Oleg Korenfeld.
In The Modern Marketer: A Case Study, Alex Sutton of Avis Budget Group and Megan Harris of SYZYGY will join Yahoo’s Courtney McKlveen on stage at the Times Center Hall to present a behind-the-scenes look at how brands are tapping into the power of data, content and technology.
Scott Kelliher will be at the Liberty Theater to join the Mobilizing Entertainment: OTT Rising panel.
Also at the Liberty Theater, Kathy Kayse will participate in Breaking Through: Media Strategies that Impact and Reach Millennials to discuss how to reach the coveted millennial audience.

Thursday, September 29:

Yannis Dosios will join a discussion about The Future of Video at the Times Center Hall.
At Publicis Media’s Multicultural Talent Pipeline event, Armando Rodriguez will share insights on a panel addressing the importance of data and technology in advertising.
In Getting Native Video Right: A Brand Playbook, Yahoo’s David Iudica and Jose Singer will join Heineken’s Ron Amram and Mediavest | Spark’s Jeff Giacchetti to cover the latest insights on native video ads at the Times Center Hall.

Visit our Yahoo Advertising Blog for more information and updates during Advertising Week. We hope to see you there!

Yahoo Messenger Adds Video to Make Sharing Even Easier

Mon, 19 Sep 2016 15:50:18 -0400

By Mimmie Huang, Product Manager

Whether you want to show your friends the beautiful scenery while you’re on vacation or send baby videos to grandma and grandpa, Yahoo Messenger has you covered! Launching today, video in Messenger makes it even easier to show rather than tell when you want to share experiences with the people you care about. Now available on both the iOS and Android app globally, you can send videos in one-on-one and group conversations!

Wondering how it’s done? It’s just like sending photos. When composing a message, tap on the gallery picker to choose a video from your device’s gallery. Note that you’ll need to trim videos to a minute or less before sharing them in Messenger.

Update your app or download the Yahoo Messenger app for iOS and Android today to enjoy this new feature!

Introducing the uLoL Rivalries by Yahoo Esports

Mon, 19 Sep 2016 06:59:23 -0400

By Zachary John, VP of Yahoo Video and Esports

We’re teaming up with Riot Games to announce the University League of Legends (uLoL) Rivalries by Yahoo Esports accelerating our efforts to bring the best talent and media coverage to the industry. Starting November 4, Yahoo Esports and uLoL will unleash the biggest North American college rivalries for five consecutive weeks, in a series of competitive matchups with in-depth coverage and on-campus viewing events. Even better, League players and passionate college fans will vote on which rivalry match-ups will appear in this inaugural series, starting September 19 on Yahoo Esports. Want to see League experts, alumni and media come to your campus this fall? Then vote early and often for your favorite rivalry game!

This partnership is a result of our focus on bringing premium coverage to the most diehard sources of fandom in all of sports: college rivalries. University League of Legends is a network of student-run clubs created to support and empower League of Legends communities on college campuses across the U.S. and Canada. Riot’s uLoL team focuses on growing an ecosystem for passionate college players to celebrate and compete with each other. The uLoL Rivalries series will enable players and fans to engage with unique League coverage, media personalities and advertising sponsors, both online and in-person on campus.

uLoL Rivalries by Yahoo Esports represents a new opportunity for advertisers to reach a young, dedicated audience of Esports fans through unique sponsorships. With branded segments as well as video advertising within these live streams, advertisers can be part of Yahoo’s exclusive coverage of each uLoL rivalry match. This is the latest way we’re delivering exciting content for our users on Yahoo Esports and helping our advertisers create meaningful connections with an important audience of millennials.

For more details on this event and how to vote, check out the upcoming Yahoo Esports Live broadcast later today at 3pm PDT (live on Yahoo Esports and Twitch).

General Mills Teams Up with Yahoo Esports as First Sponsor of New Live Shows

Mon, 12 Sep 2016 07:00:06 -0400

By Lisa Utzschneider, Chief Revenue Officer

Today we’re thrilled to announce that General Mills is the first presenting sponsor of Yahoo Esports Live, a new hour-long weekly live show. With custom branded segments and video advertising during this live programming, the new campaign for Reese’s Puffs Cereal will connect with fans of Yahoo Esports around recent news and analysis in the Esports industry. As part of this campaign, Reese’s Puffs will also sponsor Yahoo’s coverage for the live stream of ESL One New York 2016 from October 1-2.

Yahoo Esports Live includes two 30 minute segments, Late Night League and Tilted, airing every Monday from 3-4pm PT starting September 12 on Yahoo Esports and Twitch. Reese’s Puffs is the first sponsor and will have new opportunities to reach fans within this live experience. This sponsorship extends the “You Either Love Them or You’re Wrong” campaign for Reese’s Puffs to reach an important audience of millennials on Yahoo. In addition to Yahoo Esports Live, Reese’s Puffs will also run branded segments during Yahoo Esports’ coverage of ESL One New York 2016 on October 1-2. “Late Night League,” hosted by Mark Zimmerman, best known for “Blame Game” and his work on the Riot Games’ LCS analyst desk, will focus on recent news around the Esports world in the style of a late night talk show. “Tilted,” the second half of Yahoo Esports Live, is a roundtable discussion with a rotating cast of Yahoo Esports editorial and video personalities.

Yahoo continues to double down on video this year, with a focus on bringing the best live programming to users and opportunities for advertisers. Tune in to Yahoo Esports Live, premiering Monday, September 12 at 3pm PT.

Save the Dates! Flurry Announces European Tour

Fri, 09 Sep 2016 06:45:20 -0400

flurrymobile:

By Shirin Sabahi, Developer Relations

The Flurry Analytics team is heading to Paris and Berlin this month!

After successful conferences earlier this year in San Francisco, Taipei and Hong Kong, we’re thrilled to bring you a lineup of networking, content and speakers, right in your backyard.

Vivez-vous à Paris? Be sure to check out our event at Dojo St. Martin on Tuesday, September 27th from 18:00-20:30. Click here for more information, speaker details, and to register for the event.

Wohnst du in Berlin? Our event will be held in the Cathedral Room at the Rainmaking Loft on Wednesday, September 28th from 18:00-20:30. Click here for more information, speaker details, and to register for this event.

Flurry’s own James Kelm, Senior Director of Product Management, Flurry Analytics and Chris Klotzbach, Director at Flurry Analytics will present on mobile usage across Europe, and monetization tips and tricks. Both chats will touch on the most pressing topics facing the developer community, and will arm you with insights on how to build better applications.

Again, please be sure to register at the above links and as always, we’re looking forward to seeing you there! Want to share your excitement? Use #FlurryRoadTrip

Yahoo Esports Announces New Live Show

Thu, 08 Sep 2016 09:00:12 -0400

By Travis Gafford, Head of Yahoo Esports Media

In March, we launched Yahoo Esports, bringing fans around the world news and features across their favorite competitive video games and events, coupled with a comprehensive product experience. And now, we’re excited to announce our new weekly hour long show – Yahoo Esports Live – split into two distinct 30 minute features, “Late Night League” and “Tilted.” Yahoo Esports Live will air every Monday from 3-4pm PT globally beginning September 12 on Yahoo Esports, the Yahoo Esports mobile app and Twitch.

“Late Night League,” hosted by Mark Zimmerman who is best known for “Blame Game” and his work on the Riot Games’ LCS analyst desk, will focus on recent news around the Esports world in the style of a late night talk show. Mark will provide expert analysis and break down some of the biggest plays before interviewing a featured guest each week. Yahoo Esports personalities Travis Gafford and Taylor Cocke will also make special appearances on the show to highlight new Yahoo Esports content and discuss the latest trends with Mark.

“Tilted,” the second half of Yahoo Esports Live, is a roundtable discussion with a rotating cast of Yahoo Esports editorial and video personalities, including Travis, Taylor, Dylan Walker and Michael Martin. Industry influencers and special guests will join the group to go beyond the headlines, pulling back the curtain on the world of Esports.

Mark your calendars! Tune in to Yahoo Esports Live, premiering Monday, September 12 at 3pm PT on Yahoo – https://esports.yahoo.com/.

Win at Football with Yahoo Sports Fantasy Football

Wed, 31 Aug 2016 09:01:00 -0400

By Guy Lake, Product Director, Fantasy Sports

Finally, Fantasy Football is back! If you haven’t already, you’re probably prepping for your draft as we’re about a week away from kick-off on September 8th. As we have been for over 17 years, Yahoo Sports is here to make sure you “Win at Football” and dominate your friends and colleagues.

First things first, sign-up or click that invite (we know it’s in your inbox!) to join a league. Now it’s time to prepare. The player that works the hardest and knows the most information, has the best shot at taking home the fantasy crown.

Yahoo Sports Fantasy Football Experts: As always, Yahoo Sports will have you covered from every angle this fantasy football season with experts Brad Evans, Brandon Funston, Andy Behrens, Liz Loza, Dalton Del Don and Scott Pianowski. We’ll be doing a series of expert Q&As throughout the season on Facebook Live and reacting to the biggest stories in fantasy football on Sundays in real-time all season long. You can check out our Fantasy Football Draft Kit here.
Fantasy Football Live (FFL): Entering its 11th season, FFL is back on Sunday mornings at 11:30am ET, where you’ll be greeted by Nicole Zaloumis, Dr. Greg Horner, Tank Williams and our experts to help you set your lineups each week.
Yahoo Sports Fantasy App: Download the new Yahoo Sports Fantasy app where you can easily manage your entire season from draft until championship.
Yahoo Cup: Last week we announced our new daily fantasy contest, The Yahoo Cup. It’s free to enter, single entry, we’re giving out cash prizes every week through Week 16 and one player is taking home a $50,000 grand prize.
Champion of Champions: We’re bringing back our Champion of Champion contest this year to once again crown the best all around fantasy football player. Each winner in season-long fantasy (in leagues of 8 teams or more) will be invited to compete in a three week long daily fantasy tournament. In addition, anyone who does not finish last in their league will also be invited to a post-season tournament. Stay tuned for full details!
Yahoo Fantasy Video Features: This season, be sure to check out video features like The Fantasy Minute which will provide sleeper advice, start/sit insight, celebrity interviews and an entertaining look at fantasy football culture. Also, The Fearless Forecast which is a personalized video playlist tailored to every user so they can make necessary roster decisions every week and rule the waiver wire.

Season kicks off in one week. Make sure you’re ready to Win at Football!

Yahoo Esports and ESL Team Up for Live Streaming & Content Partnership

Fri, 26 Aug 2016 12:04:24 -0400

By Zachary John, VP of Yahoo Video and Esports

Today we’re excited to announce that Yahoo Esports is entering into a two-year agreement with ESL, the world’s largest esports company, to bring esports to mainstream audiences via distribution across Yahoo’s properties. Additionally, Yahoo Esports and ESL will collaborate on the development of new tournaments to be covered and distributed by Yahoo, with new exciting integrated sponsorship opportunities for advertisers.

As part of the agreement, Yahoo Esports and ESL will work together to distribute Yahoo’s unique storytelling and in-depth coverage of ESL’s major events, including the ESL One and IEM global competitive series. Yahoo Esports will live stream ESL produced tournaments in HD quality throughout the world and promote content globally to esports fans across Yahoo properties. To help brands be part of this action, Yahoo Esports is offering advertisers integrated content sponsorship opportunities within both its esports coverage and new tournament offerings.

Our Yahoo Esports team is extremely excited to be partnering with ESL to bring greater coverage of its leading esports events, as well as innovate in new competitive formats and content offerings that we are sure will excite both fans and advertisers alike. Yahoo’s unique storytelling, highly-talented editorial staff and global scale are a great combination with ESL’s experience and leadership in the space.

Yahoo Esports successfully launched in March as the premier destination for delivering professional Esports coverage across major games and events, coupled with a comprehensive product experience. With an emphasis on unique video content experiences covering live tournaments, Yahoo Esports reaches a global audience and is across platform including recent launches on both iOS and Android. With world class experts and talent including Travis Gafford, Taylor Cocke, Dylan Walker and Michael Martin, Yahoo Esports covers the top competitive games including “League of Legends,” “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive,” “Dota 2,” “Street Fighter V”, “Heroes of the Storm”, as well as major topics and personalities in the esports industry.

Introducing the Yahoo Cup

Tue, 23 Aug 2016 10:00:12 -0400

By Daniel Haight, Product Director Yahoo Sports Daily Fantasy

A little over a year ago we launched Yahoo Sports Daily Fantasy, and since then our game continues to grow and evolve to give users a fair and fun place to play. Today, we’re talking about fun! I’m happy to announce the launch of the Yahoo Cup.

The Yahoo Cup is a season-long fantasy football contest where players can compete for their shot at over $100,000 in total prizes. There will be cash prizes every week based on the highest weekly scores and a grand prize winner will be rewarded $50,000 based on cumulative points from Week 1 through Week 16. The best part? It’s completely free to enter. The second best part? Each contest is single-entry. Just like all of our contests, you don’t have to worry about scripting or competing against a diversified portfolio of lineups. We’re starting off in Week 1 with $10,000 in total prizes and will be adding weekly contests through Week 16 of the regular football season. For more info on the Yahoo Cup and to find out details about the rest of the Yahoo Cup weekly contests, please make sure to visit here each week.

But that’s not all. Our football lobby is officially open, along with our premier contest: NFL $500K Baller. In line with our Fair Play policy which we announced back in March, this football season you’ll find no contest has more than 10 entries per user, and the majority of our contests are single-entry. You’ll easily be able to see who the highly experienced players are, and scripting is strictly prohibited on our site. Just sports fans competing against other sports fans.

Football season is only a few weeks from kickoff. Don’t forget to sign-up for both season-long and the new Yahoo Cup!

Yahoo Sports Introduces Your Guide to Live Sports

Fri, 12 Aug 2016 13:00:03 -0400

By Parker Emmott, Director, Product Management

Although the sports we love haven’t changed, the way we watch them definitely has. We are excited to say that the days of scouring the internet to find where your live sports are streaming are a thing of the past. Starting today with MLB, our completely redesigned Yahoo Sports app now features a guide to find and stream live baseball games.

Now you can find streaming options available for a specific baseball game, and we’ll link you directly to the right app for your viewing pleasure! We manage the complex rights and blackout restrictions, so we only show options available to you.

Wondering how it works?

When you’re on the Schedule page, a ‘Watch’ button will now be displayed alongside games with streaming options.
Simply tap through to the ‘Game Details’ page, and tap the ‘Watch Now’ button to see your streaming options.
And if you see that a game is “Live on Yahoo!”, like our MLB Free Game of the Day, you can watch the game directly on the ‘Game Details’ page.

Make sure to update your Yahoo Sports app today to take advantage of this new live sports guide, or download Yahoo Sports for iOS and Android if you haven’t already! And if you find yourself wishing a similar guide existed for your favorite streaming TV shows and movies, you can download Yahoo Video Guide for iOS and Android. Happy streaming!

Yes! Now you can watch the best TV for free on Yahoo View,...

Tue, 09 Aug 2016 14:41:43 -0400

Yes! Now you can watch the best TV for free on Yahoo View, featuring Hulu. #yahooview yhoo.it/YVTBD

Make National Draft Day, August 28, a National Holiday!

Tue, 09 Aug 2016 09:04:58 -0400

Marissa Daly, Director, Product Marketing Yahoo Sports

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s almost time to make your picks! The fourth annual National Draft Day is around the corner on Sunday, August 28!

At Yahoo Sports we share in your excitement for the start of the Fantasy Football season, so we want to make National Draft Day a NATIONAL HOLIDAY. (Yes, you read that correctly!). We’ve set up a Change.org petition that we want to share with The White House! We need 100,000 signatures – so sign up here and ask your friends to sign their names, too.

Why do we think August 28 is worthy of being a national holiday? Just like Thanksgiving or July 4, National Draft Day is the perfect day for sitting around with your friends and family – celebrating last year’s champion, reliving the wins and losses and devising a master plan to win your league.

Don’t know who to pick for your squad? Yahoo Sports’ team of experts are here to help you with their unique take on the draft board and by hosting a series of informative Facebook Live sessions the days prior to National Draft Day. And on National Draft Day, Brad Evans, Brandon Funston, Dalton Del Don and Liz Loza will be live from Levi’s Stadium to answer all your questions via Facebook Live.

In the meantime, invite your friends over, plan your menu full of stadium eats, download the new Yahoo Fantasy app and sign up for your Yahoo Sports Fantasy Football league.

YOU’RE NOW ON THE CLOCK!

TV Fanatics Unite! Introducing Yahoo View, a TV Watching Experience Featuring Hulu

Mon, 08 Aug 2016 09:00:06 -0400

By Jess Lee, Vice President of Lifestyles Product

I’m a TV junkie who can’t get enough of my favorite shows – “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” After watching an episode, I love to geek out on Tumblr with other fans over plot twists, costumes and my favorite ships.

So, I’m incredibly excited today to announce the launch of Yahoo View, a brand new community TV-watching site. We are partnering with Hulu to offer thousands of free full-length episodes of premium TV shows, anime and Korean drama, as well as movies and TV clips. We’ve got everything from “Scandal" to “Empire” to “One Punch Man” to “Sungkyunkwan Scandal.” You can also go beyond the episode with behind-the-scenes extras, recaps, and the best GIFs, photos and edits from the Tumblr fandom community.

We’ve seen awesome things happen when you add community and content together (think of the passionate communities on Yahoo Sports, Polyvore and Tumblr to name a few) and are excited to be taking this first step towards creating a powerful community TV-watching experience. Today’s launch is only scratching the surface of what’s possible, and we are looking forward to rolling out more content and community-related updates soon!

view.yahoo.com is immediately available in the U.S. today. Mobile web and mobile apps will be coming soon.

Yahoo Search Brings the Rio Games Front and Center

Fri, 05 Aug 2016 16:21:11 -0400

yahoosearch:

By Zhen Jiang Zhuang and Karen Chin, Product Management, Yahoo Search

What did Gisele wear on the Rio catwalk? Did Hope Solo evoke cheers or jeers? Who are the contenders for the men’s 200 meter individual medley? Look no further than Yahoo Search to get up-to-speed on what’s happening in Rio.

Visual cards provide easy access to dynamic content – medal count, live schedule and other updates – and to statistics such as profiles on athletes, countries and venues. Yahoo is bringing these experiences directly to the Search results page, making it that much easier for you to find the information you seek.

As the games heat up, you can count on Yahoo Search to experience Rio on desktop, mobile and tablet.

Happy searching and may the best country win!

Let the Games Begin with Yahoo Sports

Thu, 04 Aug 2016 16:00:07 -0400

By Bob Condor, Vice President, Yahoo Sports Media Group

The torch is in the home stretch and the opening ceremony for the summer games is almost here. At Yahoo Sports we’re ready to bring you the games from every angle, cover the unscripted moments, share the personal stories and give you an experience so it feels like you’re cheering from the stands. We are also extending our alliance with NBC Sports to provide Yahoo’s audience in the United States with links to all of NBCOlympics.com’s exclusive live streamed events and video highlights.

Back in May, we showed you the depth and resources we’re putting behind these games by sending Olympic gold medalists Shawn Johnson and Summer Sanders, plus more than 15 experts, writers and producers from our global teams to deliver breaking news, captivating features, competition tutorials and a playful look at the surrounding Olympic subculture.

For these Games, we will put a strong emphasis on creating mobile-first content and our editorial team will be working around the clock to make sure fans across the globe won’t miss any of the action. We’ll be translating our coverage into a variety of languages to reach our audience of over one billion users worldwide.

So don’t miss a beat! Download the newly redesigned Yahoo Sports app on iOS and Android where you’ll be able to find all of our great coverage. Our 2016 Summer Games homepage is a great resource for staying on top of everything taking place including up to date medal counts from every country.

Yahoo News Delivers Record-Breaking Coverage of the 2016 Political Conventions With Over 50MM Page Views, and Over 35MM Streams

Fri, 29 Jul 2016 14:02:49 -0400

By Megan Liberman, Editor in Chief, Yahoo News

The Yahoo News team has spent the past two weeks on the road, in Cleveland and Philadelphia, giving its audience access, insights and in-depth analyses of the biggest moments at this year’s political conventions. This has been one of the most unconventional campaign seasons of all time, and we’ve got the coverage to match.

Over the span of these past two weeks, the Yahoo News political team generated over 50 million page views (and counting) as of Wednesday, with over 200 original stories and slideshows — from Michael Isikoff’s exclusive report on the DNC hacking scandal, to Jon Ward’s in-depth coverage of the anti-Trump movement in Cleveland, Matt Bai’s daily columns and the “Unconventional Diaries” contributor platform. Our recurring Unconventional column, Yahoo News’ complete guide to all things convention-related, has seen more than 16 million page views alone since it launched in April.

Led by Tony Maciulis, Head of News for Yahoo Studios, the Yahoo News video team on location — in coordination with our production team in New York — produced nearly 270 live and taped pieces at the conventions, including a live primetime show anchored by Yahoo Global News Anchor Katie Couric with senior political columnist Matt Bai, live-streaming coverage of all the major speeches, roving-reporter style videos, and all the highlights. The Yahoo News skybox was a must-stop for some of the biggest names in politics, including everyone from former Sen. Bob Dole, to former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, former Attorney General Eric Holder, retired Lt. General Mike Flynn, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Jane Sanders and more.

As of just this past Wednesday, these videos have seen more than 35 million streams to date.We know that audiences turn to Yahoo News for comprehensive, up-to-the-minute coverage of major news events. With just three months to go until November, be sure to stay tuned.

It’s Here! Introducing the New and Improved Yahoo Messenger Desktop App

Wed, 27 Jul 2016 13:14:14 -0400

By Austin Shoemaker, Senior Director, Product Management

Since we launched the new Yahoo Messenger at the end of last year, you’ve enjoyed an energized messaging experience built around groups. Our new platform provides you with a fast and easy way to send (and unsend) not only messages, but also photos and animated GIFs. Today, we’re delighted to announce that you can enjoy all of these features you’ve grown to know and love in our brand-new Yahoo Messenger desktop app for Windows and Mac.

Want to share photos from your latest vacation or simply spice up a message? Save precious time with our drag and drop feature to share multiple photos at once. Then, spread the love by “liking” any posts or images that stand out to you. If you’d rather reply with a GIF, you can easily search and send GIFs to your heart’s content. Pro tip: play GIF roulette and type /gif + any search term.

With Messenger’s desktop notifications, you can multitask at your computer without having to worry about missing an important message from family, friends, or coworkers again.

We are also introducing the unsend button – one of our most beloved Messenger features now on desktop. Sent that message too soon or caught a last-minute typo? Now you can take back a message, photo or GIF (yes, even after you’ve pressed send)! You can find out more about this exciting feature here.

The Yahoo Messenger desktop app is available for download today on Windows and Mac! Friendly reminder: If you’re using the old version of the Yahoo Messenger desktop app, don’t forget to update it by August 5 as the legacy Yahoo Messenger app will no longer function as we move forward! And if you have any questions while you’re transitioning to our new platform, simply head over to our help page.

Verizon to acquire Yahoo’s operating business

Mon, 25 Jul 2016 07:17:03 -0400

Today is a big day for Yahoo! This is the email that I sent to Yahoos around the world today. Given the interest around our journey to this point, I wanted to share more about today’s announcement. –Marissa

Dear Yahoos,

Moments ago, we announced an agreement with Verizon to acquire Yahoo’s operating business. This culminates a rigorous, thorough process over many months, and yields a great outcome for the company. Today’s announcement not only brings us an important step toward separating Yahoo’s operating business from our Asian asset equity stakes, it also presents exciting opportunities to accelerate Yahoo’s transformation. Among the many entities that showed interest in Yahoo, Verizon believed most in the immense value we’ve created, and in what a combination could bring our users, our advertisers, and our partners.

This is a good moment to reflect on Yahoo’s journey to date.

Yahoo is a company that changed the world. Before Yahoo, the Internet was a government research project. Yahoo humanized and popularized the web, email, search, real-time media, and more.

What really sets Yahoo apart is the shared passion to create great products for our 1B+ users, and in doing so, transforming the world for the better. You can clearly see that spirit, that commitment, that fight in the work we’ve done together over the past few years. We set out to transform this company – and we’ve made incredible progress. We counteracted many of the tectonic shifts of declining legacy businesses, and built a Yahoo that is unequivocally stronger, nimbler, and more modern. We tripled our mobile base to over 600 million monthly users, we invested in and built Mavens from basically zero in 2011 into $1.6B of GAAP Revenue in 2015, we streamlined and modernized every aspect of our consumer products, and, with Gemini and BrightRoll, we dramatically improved our advertiser products. This only scratches the surface of what we’ve achieved… and we all know how much hard work it took to get here.

It’s because of that hard work and resilience, that Yahoo will realize amazing opportunities in its next chapter.

This sale is not only an important step in our plan to unlock shareholder value for Yahoo, it is also a great opportunity for Yahoo to build further distribution and accelerate our work in mobile, video, native advertising, and social. As one of the largest wireless and cable companies in the world, Verizon opens the door to extensive distribution opportunities. With more than 100 million wireless customers, a shared view of the importance of mobile and video ad tech, a deep content focus through AOL, Verizon brings clear synergies to the table. And with their aggressive aims to grow global audience to 2B users and $20B in revenue within the mobile-media business by 2020, Yahoo’s products and brand will be central to achieving these goals. Joining forces with AOL and Verizon will help us achieve tremendous scale on mobile. Imagine the distribution challenges we will solve, the scale we will achieve, the products we will build, and the advertisers we will reach now with Mavens – it’s incredibly compelling.

The strategic process has created a lot of uncertainty, but our incredibly loyal and dedicated employee base has stepped up to every challenge along the way. Through the first half of the year, we met our operational goals and overachieved on plan. But, further, there are things that you cannot measure, like the passion of the people behind the products. The teams here have not only built incredible products and technologies, but have built Yahoo into one of the most iconic, and universally well-liked companies in the world. One that continues to impact the lives of more than a billion people. I’m incredibly proud of everything that we’ve achieved, and I’m incredibly proud of our team. For me personally, I’m planning to stay. I love Yahoo, and I believe in all of you. It’s important to me to see Yahoo into its next chapter.

As we work to close this agreement in Q1 2017, it’s more important than ever that we come together as one global team to continue executing on our strategic plan through the remainder of the year. We have delivered the first half of the year with pride, achieving our goals. Now, it is up to us to make Yahoo’s final quarters as an independent company count.

Yahoo is a company that changed the world. Now, we will continue to, with even greater scale, in combination with Verizon and AOL.

Thanks,

Marissa

Important Additional Information and Where to Find It.

Yahoo will be filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a proxy statement regarding the proposed sale of Yahoo’s operating business to Verizon Communications Inc., the definitive version of which will be sent or provided to Yahoo stockholders. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING DECISION, YAHOO’S STOCKHOLDERS ARE STRONGLY ADVISED TO READ YAHOO’S PROXY STATEMENT IN ITS ENTIRETY (INCLUDING ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS THERETO) WHEN IT BECOMES AVAILABLE AND ANY OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION OR INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE THEREIN BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. Investors and stockholders will be able to obtain (when available) a free copy of Yahoo’s proxy statement, any amendments or supplements to the proxy statement, and other documents filed by Yahoo with the SEC (when available) in connection with the proposed transaction for no charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, on the Investor Relations page of Yahoo’s website investor.yahoo.net or by writing to Investor Relations, Yahoo! Inc., 701 First Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94089.

Yahoo and its directors and executive officers may be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies from its investors and stockholders in connection with the proposed transaction. Information concerning the ownership of Yahoo securities by Yahoo’s directors and executive officers is included in their SEC filings on Forms 3, 4 and 5, and additional information is also available in Yahoo’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, as amended, and Yahoo’s proxy statement for its 2016 annual meeting of stockholders filed with the SEC on May 23, 2016. Information regarding Yahoo’s directors, executive officers and other persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be considered participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the proposed transaction, including their respective interests by security holdings or otherwise, also will be set forth in the definitive proxy statement relating to the proposed transaction when it is filed with the SEC. These documents may be obtained free of charge from the sources indicated above.

This post contains forward-looking statements concerning the proposed sale of Yahoo’s operating business. Risks and uncertainties may cause actual results to differ materially from the results predicted. Potential risks and uncertainties include, among others: (i) the inability to consummate the transaction in a timely manner or at all, due to the inability to obtain or delays in obtaining the stockholder approval, necessary regulatory approvals for the transaction or satisfaction of other conditions to the closing of the transaction; (ii) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the purchase agreement; (iii) the potential adverse effect on Yahoo’s partner, advertiser, vendor and customer relationships, operating results and business generally resulting from the announcement of the transaction; (iv) the implementation of the transaction which will require significant time, attention and resources of Yahoo’s senior management and others within Yahoo, potentially diverting their attention from other aspects of Yahoo’s business; (v) risks related to Yahoo’s ability to retain or recruit key talent; (vi) the costs, fees, expenses and charges related to or triggered by the transaction; (vii) potential adverse effects on Yahoo’s business, properties or operations caused by Yahoo implementing the transaction; (viii) the anticipated benefits of transaction to Yahoo’s stockholders may not be realized; and (ix) the initiation or outcome of any legal proceedings or regulatory proceedings that may be instituted against Yahoo relating to the transaction. More information about other potential factors that could affect Yahoo’s business and financial results is included under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Yahoo’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, as amended, and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2016, which are on file with the SEC and available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. All information set forth in this communication is as of July 25, 2016. Yahoo does not intend, and undertakes no duty, to update this information to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

Verizon to acquire Yahoo’s operating business

Transaction will create a new rival in mobile media technology reaching over 1B users* with a roster of the world’s most beloved brands

BASKING RIDGE, NJ, and SUNNYVALE, Calif. – July 25, 2016 – Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) and Yahoo! Inc. (Nasdaq: YHOO) today announce they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Verizon will acquire Yahoo’s operating business for approximately $4.83 billion in cash, subject to customary closing adjustments.

Yahoo informs, connects and entertains a global audience of more than 1 billion monthly active users** – including 600 million monthly active mobile users*** – through its search, communications and digital content products. Yahoo also connects advertisers with target audiences through a streamlined advertising technology stack that combines the power of their data, content and technology.

Lowell McAdam, Verizon Chairman and CEO, said: “Just over a year ago we acquired AOL to enhance our strategy of providing a cross-screen connection for consumers, creators and advertisers. The acquisition of Yahoo will put Verizon in a highly competitive position as a top global mobile media company, and help accelerate our revenue stream in digital advertising.”

Yahoo will be integrated with AOL under Marni Walden, EVP and President of the Product Innovation and New Businesses organization at Verizon.

Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo, said: “Yahoo is a company that has changed the world, and will continue to do so through this combination with Verizon and AOL. The sale of our operating business, which effectively separates our Asian asset equity stakes, is an important step in our plan to unlock shareholder value for Yahoo. This transaction also sets up a great opportunity for Yahoo to build further distribution and accelerate our work in mobile, video, native advertising and social.”

Mayer added, “Yahoo and AOL popularized the Internet, email, search and real-time media. It’s poetic to be joining forces with AOL and Verizon as we enter our next chapter focused on achieving scale on mobile. We have a terrific, loyal, experienced and quality team, and I couldn’t be prouder of our achievements to date, including building our new lines of business to $1.6 billion in GAAP revenue in 2015. I’m excited to extend our momentum through this transaction.”

Tim Armstrong, CEO of AOL, said: “Our mission at AOL is to build brands people love, and we will continue to invest in and grow them. Yahoo has been a long-time investor in premium content and created some of the most beloved consumer brands in key categories like sports, news and finance.”

Under Armstrong, AOL has invested in and grown global premium brands, including The Huffington Post, TechCrunch, Engadget, MAKERS and AOL.com, and market-leading programmatic platforms – including ONE by AOL for both advertisers and publishers.

Armstrong added, “We have enormous respect for what Yahoo has accomplished: this transaction is about unleashing Yahoo’s full potential, building upon our collective synergies, and strengthening and accelerating that growth. Combining Verizon, AOL and Yahoo will create a new powerful competitive rival in mobile media, and an open, scaled alternative offering for advertisers and publishers.”

The addition of Yahoo to Verizon and AOL will create one of the largest portfolios of owned and partnered global brands with extensive distribution capabilities. Combined, AOL and Yahoo will have more than 25 brands in its portfolio for continued investment and growth. Yahoo’s key assets include market-leading premium content brands in major categories including finance, news and sports, as well as one of the most popular email services globally with approximately 225 million monthly active users****. Additional technology assets in the advertising space include Brightroll, a programmatic demand-side platform; Flurry, an independent mobile apps analytics service; and Gemini, a native and search advertising solution.

The deal is subject to customary closing conditions, approval by Yahoo’s shareholders, and regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in Q1 of 2017. Until the closing, Yahoo will continue to operate independently, offering and improving its own products and services for users, advertisers, developers and partners.

Verizon will generally issue cash-settled Verizon RSUs for Yahoo RSUs that are outstanding at the close.

The sale does not include Yahoo’s cash, its shares in Alibaba Group Holdings, its shares in Yahoo Japan, Yahoo’s convertible notes, certain minority investments, and Yahoo’s non-core patents (called the Excalibur portfolio). These assets will continue to be held by Yahoo, which will change its name at closing and become a registered, publicly traded investment company. Yahoo will provide additional information about the investment company at a future date.

Yahoo intends to return substantially all of its net cash to shareholders and will determine and communicate a specific capital return strategy at an appropriate time.

LionTree Advisors, LLC, Allen & Company LLC, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Guggenheim Securities, LLC are acting as financial advisors to Verizon. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Covington & Burling LLP and Winston & Strawn LLP are acting as legal advisors to Verizon.

Goldman, Sachs & Co., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and PJT Partners are acting as financial advisors to the Yahoo Board and its Strategic Review Committee. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP are acting as legal advisors to Yahoo. Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP is independent legal advisor to Yahoo’s Strategic Review Committee.

Yahoo will hold an investor call at 5:30 a.m. Pacific/8:30 a.m. Eastern today. Investors can dial in at (866) 593-9949 and investors outside the U.S. can dial in at (973) 935-8154, using the conference ID 55971720. The call will be hosted by Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer and Yahoo CFO Ken Goldman. Yahoo will also make the Chair of the Strategic Review Committee, Tom McInerney, and Yahoo Chairman of the Board Maynard Webb available for questions.

Verizon will announce second-quarter 2016 results tomorrow, July 26. To provide further context for investors about this transaction and other strategic initiatives, McAdam will participate in Verizon’s earnings webcast beginning 8:30 a.m. Eastern tomorrow. Access instructions and presentation materials, including Verizon’s earnings release, will be available at 7 a.m. on Verizon’s Investor Relations website, www.verizon.com/about/investors/.

*Based on Yahoo internal metrics, Jan. 2016 and AOL Internal, June 2016

**Yahoo internal user metrics, Jan. 2016

***Yahoo internal user metrics, Jan 2016

****Yahoo internal user metrics, Jan. 2016. Mail monthly active users includes 58M IMAP/POP only users – ie. Yahoo monthly users that access their mail using other companies mail application

About Verizon

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York City, generated nearly $132 billion in 2015 revenues. Verizon operates America’s most reliable wireless network, with 112.6 million retail connections nationwide. The company also provides communications and entertainment services over America’s most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers worldwide.

About AOL

AOL is a media technology company with a mission to connect consumers and creators through open marketplaces. AOL uses data to disrupt content production, distribution and monetization. The company connects publishers with advertisers across its global, programmatic platforms, tapping into Microsoft inventory and original content brands like TechCrunch, The Huffington Post and MAKERS, which reach over 500 million monthly global consumers. Within its mobile advertising network alone, AOL has a reach of roughly 600 million users. A subsidiary of Verizon, AOL is shaping the digital future.

About Yahoo

Yahoo is a guide to digital information discovery, focused on informing, connecting, and entertaining users through its search, communications, and digital content products. By creating highly personalized experiences, Yahoo helps users discover the information that matters most to them around the world – on mobile or desktop. Yahoo connects advertisers with target audiences through a streamlined advertising technology stack that combines the power of Yahoo’s data, content, and technology. Yahoo is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, and has offices located throughout the Americas, Asia Pacific (APAC) and the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) regions. For more information, visit the pressroom (pressroom.yahoo.net) or the Company’s blog (yahoo.tumblr.com).

Yahoo!, the Yahoo family of marks, and the associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Yahoo! Inc. Other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Important Additional Information and Where to Find It.

Verizon Forward-Looking Statements

In this communication Verizon has made forward-looking statements. These statements are based on our estimates and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include the information concerning our possible or assumed future results of operations. Forward-looking statements also include those preceded or followed by the words “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “hopes” or similar expressions. For those statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The following important factors, along with those discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), could affect future results and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements: adverse conditions in the U.S. and international economies; the effects of competition in the markets in which we operate; material changes in technology or technology substitution; disruption of our key suppliers’ provisioning of products or services; changes in the regulatory environment in which we operate, including any increase in restrictions on our ability to operate our networks; breaches of network or information technology security, natural disasters, terrorist attacks or acts of war or significant litigation and any resulting financial impact not covered by insurance; our high level of indebtedness; an adverse change in the ratings afforded our debt securities by nationally accredited ratings organizations or adverse conditions in the credit markets affecting the cost, including interest rates, and/or availability of further financing; material adverse changes in labor matters, including labor negotiations, and any resulting financial and/or operational impact; significant increases in benefit plan costs or lower investment returns on plan assets; changes in tax laws or treaties, or in their interpretation; changes in accounting assumptions that regulatory agencies, including the SEC, may require or that result from changes in the accounting rules or their application, which could result in an impact on earnings; and the inability to implement our business strategies.

Yahoo’s Forward Looking Statements

This press release (including, without limitation, the quotations from management) contains forward-looking statements concerning the proposed sale of Yahoo’s operating business. Risks and uncertainties may cause actual results to differ materially from the results predicted. Potential risks and uncertainties include, among others: (i) the inability to consummate the transaction in a timely manner or at all, due to the inability to obtain or delays in obtaining the stockholder approval, necessary regulatory approvals for the transaction or satisfaction of other conditions to the closing of the transaction; (ii) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the purchase agreement; (iii) the potential adverse effect on Yahoo’s partner, advertiser, vendor and customer relationships, operating results and business generally resulting from the announcement of the transaction; (iv) the implementation of the transaction which will require significant time, attention and resources of Yahoo’s senior management and others within Yahoo, potentially diverting their attention from other aspects of Yahoo’s business; (v) risks related to Yahoo’s ability to retain or recruit key talent; (vi) the costs, fees, expenses and charges related to or triggered by the transaction; (vii) potential adverse effects on Yahoo’s business, properties or operations caused by Yahoo implementing the transaction; (viii) the anticipated benefits of transaction to Yahoo’s stockholders may not be realized; and (ix) the initiation or outcome of any legal proceedings or regulatory proceedings that may be instituted against Yahoo relating to the transaction. More information about other potential factors that could affect Yahoo’s business and financial results is included under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Yahoo’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, as amended, and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2016, which are on file with the SEC and available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. All information set forth in this communication is as of July 25, 2016. Yahoo does not intend, and undertakes no duty, to update this information to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.