Skip to main content

Yahoo announces first two original TV series, plus plans for concert live-streams

Up to now, Yahoo’s plans to take on the likes of Netflix and Hulu with original programming have been based mainly around rumors and speculation, but on Monday the Web company for the first time offered up some solid details regarding its plans.

For starters, its first original programming is set to land in the form of two brand new comedy shows – Other Space from three-time Emmy nominee Paul Feig (‘Bridesmaids’ and ‘The Office’), and Sin City Saints from TV executive producer Mike Tollin (‘One Tree Hill’ and ‘Varsity Blues’) and two-time Emmy nominated director Bryan Gordon (‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ and ‘The Office’).

Recommended Videos

The former is billed as a “a galactic adventure set in the early 22nd century, when the human race has mapped most of the known universe, failed to find alien life, and frankly gotten a little tired of the whole thing,” and will comprise eight 30-minute episodes.

Sin City Saints, meanwhile, is described as “an off-beat comedy set in the front office of a fictional pro basketball expansion team. The show will revolve around Jake Tullus, a Silicon Valley tycoon whose lifelong dream was to buy a pro basketball team but quickly finds he’s in over his head.” As with Other Space, this show will also consist of eight 30-minute episodes.

The new shows will launch on Yahoo Screen some time in 2015.

The company also laid out plans to stream “one live concert, every day, 365 days a year,” starting this summer. The content will be delivered via a new channel set up in partnership with concert ticketing company Live Nation, Yahoo said Monday.

CEO Marissa Mayer has hinted on several occasions since taking the reins in 2012 that a move into original programming is an essential part of the company’s expansion efforts to boost its audience and generate increased ad-related revenue. Speaking at a tech conference at the start of the year, she described the tech industry as being at “a critical moment embarking on the next-generation of video consumption.”

Yahoo’s news came on the same day that Microsoft also took the wraps off plans for brand new video content. Xbox Originals is set to bring a dozen original shows to users of the computer giant’s gaming platform, with an official launch slated for this June.

Topics
Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Get your hands on the Anker Soundcore 2 Bluetooth speaker while it’s only $30
A person holding the Anker Soundcore Boom 2.

The weather is getting warmer, which means we’re all going to be outdoors a lot more. And we can’t think of a better way to celebrate spring and summer than investing in an outdoor-friendly Bluetooth speaker! This week, the incredible Anker Soundcore 2 Bluetooth Speaker is on sale for $30, which is a $15 markdown from its usual $45 price. 

Why you should buy the Anker Soundcore 2 

Read more
YouTube starts using AI to make ads annoyingly difficult to avoid
YouTube app in iOS app gallery.

YouTube is relying on AI in its latest crusade against seekers of an ad-free video-watching experience. The company recently announced plans to use AI models to make ads more persuasive by strategically placing them within the video.

At its Brandcast 2025 event in New York, YouTube revealed it will deploy Google's Gemini AI to analyze videos to optimize placement of ads. The AI will be used to identify key moments or "Peak Points" in the video where viewers are most likely to be engaged and too invested to stop watching it in order to avoid the ad.

Read more
Qobuz Connect launches with Denon, Marantz, and more than 50 other hi-fi brands
Qobuz Connect.

Fans of Qobuz, the France-based subscription music service that specializes in lossless, hi-res audio, now have a new way of streaming their favorite tracks to their favorite devices. Qobuz Connect has been added to the company's iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows apps, letting them control compatible streaming speakers and components from a big list of hi-fi brands.

Most folks will recognize names like Denon and Marantz -- every device made by these brands that work with the HEOS streaming software are now Qobuz Connect compatible -- but the list also includes niche hi-fi players, such as Rotel, Nagra, HiFi Rose, Lindemann, Wiim, and Volumio. Here's the entire list.

Read more