Verizon has been getting pretty serious recently, about expanding past being just a wireless carrier and an ISP. Buying up AOL in May for a mere $4.4 billion, which was mostly for their video unit as it would coincide nicely with their recently launched Go90 service. Of course, in buying AOL, Verizon also bought a few web properties like Engadget, and Tech Crunch. This week, there’s an investor conference happening in New York city, and all four of the major carriers are there with execs speaking on various things. Verizon’s CEO Lowell McAdam was asked about Yahoo, and replied that they’ll take a look at Yahoo. But that no talks have been made just yet.
Yahoo’s board of directors have been looking at selling off the company’s core internet business in recent weeks. McAdam said that it as far as they are aware, Yahoo is not up for sale. But if it were up for sale or even parts of it, they would definitely take a look at it, as anything else in digital media today. After buying AOL earlier this year, it might seem a bit redundant to buy Yahoo as well. McAdam noted that there may be parts of Yahoo that could enhance their AOL business, and that’s what McAdam and Verizon will have to look at before deciding to buy Yahoo or even parts of Yahoo. Also confirming that Yahoo and Verizon have not been in talks just yet. Although he didn’t say that it wouldn’t happen in the future.
When Verizon bought AOL, many were a bit shocked. As AOL hadn’t really been relevant since the 2000s. But parts of AOL were still very, very relevant. For one, their advertising product. The other being AOL Video, which is really what Verizon wanted, to work with their Go90 platform that is now available. Along with it, Verizon got a few web publications, which Verizon hasn’t made any public plans on what to do with them just yet. It will be interesting to see what Verizon and Yahoo can do, especially if they come together and merge in with AOL underneath Verizon’s umbrella.