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Yahoo reportedly plans to steal YouTube stars for its own competing service

Yahoo reportedly plans to steal YouTube stars for its own competing service

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Yahoo has made a number of bold moves since CEO Marissa Mayer took the reins, and its latest bid for relevance may include taking on none other than YouTube. Recode reports that the company has been working on a new initiative to lure away prominent YouTube stars and networks with the simplest incentive of all: more money. There's been a growing chorus of complaints over what many video makers are able to earn on YouTube — its one of the reasons that Disney's $500 million acquisition of Maker Studios this week came as such a surprise — and Yahoo hopes that offering better ad revenue, guaranteed ad rates, and increased marketing will peel some of those content creators away from the current web video giant.

Video has been a particular area for interest for Mayer, with Yahoo signing some big partnership deals and then surfacing that content through a new app called Yahoo Screen. According to today's report, Yahoo's video competitor would have that same kind of focus — hence looking towards established stars and networks — rather than just launching an open-to-all video hosting service. Yahoo reportedly hopes to put its plans into motion in the coming months.