America Online Inc has struck a three-year deal with Bloomberg LP which will make it the main supplier of business news on AOL. Bloomberg replaces Dow Jones & Co, which had been the sole provider of business information to AOL for more than a year, until the two had a contract dispute last month. AOL apparently wanted money from Dow Jones to feature its content and Dow Jones balked at the notion. Bloomberg will take the position of anchor tenant on the Business News Desk area – which can be found on three different channels at AOL.com – offering a complete news package which will be updated throughout each day. AOL wouldn’t comment on its financial arrangement with either Bloomberg or Dow Jones but it’s a no-brainer that Bloomberg is paying up like so many others, in line with CEO Steve Case’s business model of leveraging the company’s 11 million subscribers to generate revenue from partners.
