Verizon Announces Acquisition of Yahoo’s Web Assets

As we have pointed out on numerous occasions, as traditional mobile services approach commodity status, operators have become aware that content is king. Content, in fact, is the key to future revenue growth, and in order to have access to that content, operators must either license it or purchase it. Very few telecom players in the world have pockets as deep as Verizon, and given its assets of US $220 billion, the U.S. giant has the ability to spend generously for the assets it needs. The price tag of nearly US $5 billion for Yahoo’s web properties may seem high, but it represents a tiny fraction of the internet company’s one-time valuation of US $125 billion. Yahoo has declined precipitously since its glory days during the first internet boom, but it still has much to offer. In particular, it should significantly bolster the video content portfolio that Verizon began building with its acquisition of AOL. Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam said, “By acquiring Yahoo’s operating business, we are scaling up to be a major competitor in mobile media. Yahoo’s operations provide a valuable portfolio of online properties and mobile applications, which attract over 1 billion monthly active consumer views.” He added, “Going forward, this acquisition will put us in a great position as a top global media company and give us a significant source of revenue growth for the future.” Both Verizon’s cable and mobile businesses can benefit significantly from this acquisition, as long as the operator deploys the content in a way that meets the ever-evolving demands of consumers. But whether the operator can truly compete with Google and Facebook in the realm of content delivery remains to be seen.

Tarifica is the global leader in monitoring and analyzing telecom pricing. Covering hundreds of operators in every region of the globe, Tarifica’s databases of mobile and fixed line data and voice tariffs are among the largest and most in-depth in the world. Tarifica is also a leading publisher of benchmark and other pricing reports, and its analysts are recognized authorities in the telecom industry, relied upon by operators and businesses worldwide for pricing insight and guidance. To learn more about Tarifica, please visit www.tarifica.com