Yahoo buys online ad firm 5to1

By Geoff Duncan May 20, 2011

Yahoo and 5to1 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Internet giant Yahoo has been working to focus on its core businesses, shedding things like AltaVista, Buzz, del.icio.us, and shifting its back-end search operations to Bing in an effort to tidy up its bottom line. Now, however, Yahoo seems to be back in an acquisition mood, announcing it will be taking over online advertising firm 5to1. Although financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, reports have the takeover valued at about $28 million—which is quite something, considering 5to1 has yet to earn any money, and lost $9 million last year on revenue of $1 million.

Yahoo’s interest in 5to1 seems to be its advertising platform: 5to1 handles online advertising placements for about 20 “premium publishers,” offering a publisher-controlled platform where publishers can fill unsold (or “remnant”) advertising inventory with premium ads with major media publishers. According to 5to1, its “double opt-in” platform only offers premium inventory and eliminates the need for block lists.

“5to1’s innovative platform and premium private marketplace will further enable Yahoo to extend our advertising leadership,” said Yahoo senior VP for advertising sales Wayne Powers, in a statement. “5to1 provides additional access to publishers and unlocks the value of unsold inventory for premium brand advertisers.”

Yahoo may be hoping to use 5ot1’s platform as a method to pump new vigor into its ad business: while overall online advertising sales jumped 15 percent in the last year, Yahoo only saw its ad revenue increase by 1 percent.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Web

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Computing

5 things you could buy for the cost of an Apple Vision Pro headset

A man wears Apple Vision Pro.

At $3,500, there's no beating around the bush -- the Apple Vision Pro is expensive. Really, really expensive. And even though we did the math and found it's most likely worth the price, that still doesn't change the fact that you could spend that money on something else.

Sure, those things might not get you the exact same features you would from an Apple Vision Pro. In fact, some of them are quite different. But when you compare them side by side, you might get more enjoyment out of something else than you would from Apple's high-tech headset. Here are some fun ways you could spend $3,500 instead of buying the Apple Vision Pro.
A high-end PC

Computing

Apple Mac Mini M2 vs. M1: don’t make a buying mistake

Apple Mac Mini M1 sitting on a desk.

Apple's new Mac Mini M2 promises better performance and features at a lower price. But with the next-gen machine now out and making the rounds, you can score a deal on a last-gen Mac Mini M1. Which should you buy?

With the same external design and similar port selection, the Mac Mini M2 looks like an internal-only upgrade to Apple's mini desktop. There are some significant differences compared to the M1 model, however, and they can make a huge difference in performance.
Pricing

Deals

Best Buy is having a 24-hour flash sale – the 5 best deals

S Pen menu in the Galaxy S22 Ultra.

Best Buy is ending 2022 with a bang with a 24-hour flash sale covering all kinds of electronic devices, including smartphones, laptops, and TVs. The sheer number of the retailer's offers may overwhelm you, so to help you narrow down your choices, we've gathered the five best deals that you can shop right now. You shouldn't wait until the last minute to take advantage of any of these bargains though, because there's a chance that stocks will run out. If you see a deal that you like, it's highly recommended that you quickly finalize the purchase.
Microsoft Xbox Series S (512GB) -- $240, was $300

Between Xbox Series X and S deals, gamers will be fine going for the cheaper Microsoft Xbox Series S if they prefer digital downloads for their games instead of physical copies. You'll enjoy lightning-fast load times and gameplay of up to 120 frames per second, with the option to use the console as a streaming device for content on all the popular services like Netflix and Disney+. With the Xbox Series S, you'll be able to play the best Xbox Series X games as well as titles from the previous Xbox generations due to its backwards compatibility feature, so you'll never run out of games to play on the console.