Yahoo Goes Hollywood With New TV, Celebrity Shortcuts

Citing the popularity of entertainment-related searches, Yahoo’s search results have gone Hollywood with the announcement of new search shortcuts for TV shows and celebrities.

The TV shortcut shows the title and a short synopsis of the next episode, along with video clips and links to see photos, the show’s schedule, and an episodes list. All of this content comes from Yahoo TV.

A Comedy Show Debuts On Yahoo—With A Sponsor

Yahoo (NSDQ: YHOO)—which has promised to up the amount of original content on its properties—has launched a new comedy show on Yahoo TV; it features a recap of funny moments on TV the night before. What stands out about the new show, however, is that it is entirely sponsored by food giant ConAgra and will incorporate the company’s brands throughout. The example from the release: “The first episodes will feature a segment called ‘Ingredients for Good Comedy’ centered around what goes into making a show funny, sponsored by Marie Callender’s—using fresh-tasting ingredients to make a great meal at home or the office with Marie Callender’s Home-Style Creations.”

Expect many similar deals to come. Last month, Yahoo said it was partnering with WPP’s GroupM Entertainment to “help marketers creatively incorporate their brands into original online programming” across Yahoo properties. Several sponsored shows—including one that follows a touring rock band and another that tracks unemployed job searchers—are reportedly under consideration as part of that agreement.

A spokesman clarifies that the ConAgra deal—which will span a year—is separate from the GroupM partnership, since it was done directly with Yahoo, ConAgra, and ConAgra’s agency MediaCom. However, he says it is representative of the company’s focus on branded content.

Watch on Yahoo TV