Yahoo! unveils new online shows

Yahoo! on Monday pulled back the curtain on a new line-up of online shows along with new ways it will pair advertising with content at its websites.

The struggling Internet pioneer spotlighted coming programs at a flashy Digital Content NewFront event in New York that featured appearances from stars such as Ed Helms, John Stamos, Morgan Spurlock and Cheryl Hines.

The event was to be capped with a 30-minute set by the band The Lumineers, with the performance streamed online at music.yahoo.com.

'What we're showing tonight signals where Yahoo! is headed,' said chief operating officer Henrique de Castro.

'Beautiful product experiences, exciting new content, big partnerships with the largest media brands, and extraordinary new ad experiences.'

Upcoming programs featured characters including a toy-sized crime fighter; Hollywood starlets who abuse their assistant, and a celebrity who delves into 'first-time' experiences of peers.

'In the last year, we have more than doubled the original video programming on Yahoo! to become one of the Web's largest content publishers,' said Erin McPherson, Yahoo! vice president and head of video at the California-based firm.

Yahoo! has also expanded its programming with partnerships that include a deal to stream the archives of the popular and long-running 'Saturday Night Live' comedy television show.
Yahoo! has been honing its pages to be more 'personal, intuitive, and immersive,' said chief executive Marissa Mayer.

She noted a Yahoo! news streamed launched in February as an example and said an advertising format introduced on Monday was designed to complement the design with specially streamed ads.

'Going forward, we're committed to advertising formats that complement our products and content, and enhance the user experience,' Mayer said.

Yahoo! has been re-inventing itself as a premier online content venue since the pioneering Internet search firm found itself withering in Google's shadow.