Internet portals: broadband content strategies

Internet portals: broadband content strategies

How powerful a role will the leading Internet portals have in the future control and distribution of content? The question is one that preoccupies many in the content production and distribution industries. Their view of content development, business strategy and the relationships with content owners will shape the broadband content ecosystem, and with it the future positioning and role of other broadband players, including telcos.

This report focuses on four of those players – AOL, Google, MSN and Yahoo! – which have built a global presence beyond their US roots.

Table of contents

Key messages

The telco-portal partnership

Changing fortunes of the Internet portal

What content means to Internet players

Individual Internet portals’ approach to content

Advertising: developing the central business model

End-user revenues: nice to have but not expected

Sourcing revenues from third parties

Table of figures

Figure 1 Consumer portal roots

Figure 2 Advertising as a percentage of revenues

Figure 3 The role of content in the Internet portals’ business model

Figure 4 Key content initiatives

Figure 5 Proportion of global online ad expenditure by ad format

Figure 6 Overview of advertising activity

Figure 7 The portals’ intermediary role