The product, which allows users to search news clips, music videos and movie trailers from a multitude of sources, had been running as a test since December. Now, reports are circulating that the company is ready to unleash the service into the general public.
According to the Financial Times, Yahoo! is likely to reveal partnerships with media companies such as MTV, CBS News and Discovery Channel in a move to offer more TV content online. Producers may also be invited to contribute material through an internet syndication tool called an RSS feed that will reach small audiences interested in specialized videos.
The announcement looks set to shake up the war of the web search giants, with observers hinting that the new service is evidence of Yahoo!’s desire to increase its customer base in order to compete better with main rival Google.
Google is said to be falling behind Yahoo! in its quest to introduce its own test video search service, but is reported to have signed up the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, the Discovery Health Channel and CNN, among others, as its video partners.
