Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video
  3. News

Yahoo shuts down its online video streaming service Yahoo Screen

Saqib Shah
By

yahoo screen closure nbc community dan harmon comedy tv sitcom
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Yahoo’s venture into original streaming content has come to an end, with the company pulling the plug on its video platform, Yahoo Screen.

Despite offering a mix of popular syndicated clips and original content — including the re-launch of cult comedy show Community and licensed snippets of Saturday Night Live and NFL games — Yahoo Screen has always lagged behind bigger rivals such as Netflix and Amazon.

Recommended Videos

Unfortunately, Yahoo’s major investment in original productions didn’t have the same payoff seen by its popular competitors. Earlier this year Yahoo Screen streamed two original shows, Sin City Saints and Other Space, marking a shift away from the short webisode format of its content up until that point.

It also failed to capitalize on its main headliner, Community, a show with a devoted fan base, whose membership Yahoo hoped would make the move to its service. Season six of Dan Harmon’s college campus comedy made its debut on Yahoo Screen in March.

The bad news came in October when Yahoo revealed it had witnessed a $42 million loss on its original programming, having failed to monetize the ventures. The numbers announced during its third quarter earnings call signaled the death knell for Yahoo Screen.

The plan for the now-defunct service is to distribute its content to other segments of the Yahoo family of digital sites. Streamed concerts from Yahoo Screen’s Live Nation channel, for example, will now be available on Yahoo Music. Yahoo’s originals, on the other hand, will be available in the TV section of the site.

“At Yahoo, we’re constantly reviewing and iterating on our products as we strive to create the best user experience,” a Yahoo spokesperson told Variety. “With that in mind, video content from Yahoo as well as our partners has been transitioned from Yahoo Screen to our Digital Magazine properties so users can discover complementary content in one place.”

Despite investing a reported six-figures per episode on some of its output, Yahoo failed to gain a foothold in what is now a multi-billion dollar streaming industry. Meanwhile, Netflix and Amazon’s acclaimed mix of films and TV shows has gone from strength to strength, garnering blockbuster viewership figures and awards nominations.

With rumors swirling around the fate of Yahoo’s core Web business, Yahoo Screen’s demise is further evidence that the company may undergo further restructuring.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Saqib Shah
Saqib Shah
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Saqib Shah is a Twitter addict and film fan with an obsessive interest in pop culture trends. In his spare time he can be…
Thursday Night Football stream struggles continue for Prime Video
amazon prime video thursday night football streaming issues week 3 steelers

Amazon Prime Video execs said this week they were "very hopeful" that Thursday Night Football streaming issues were "going to be less and less a thing." Looks like we'll all have to give it another go for Week 4.

The September 22 game between AFC North rivals Pittsburgh and Cleveland was peppered with continued streaming issues, where the resolution would drop out and pixelate — look bad, in other words — before returning back to normal. Then it would be fine for a while before dropping out again. And the problem wasn't just limited to the game broadcast — ads would look bad, too, which was at least a little ironic given the sheer number of spots for Amazon Web Services.

Read more
Cut the cord: Quit cable for the best streaming services
The LG G1 Gallery Series OLED TV.

So you want to cut the cord and join the streaming revolution? There are so many on-demand streaming services available now such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, and Disney+ to name a few. Add to that that the growing selection of live TV streaming services, such as Hulu Plus Live TV, Sling TV, ESPN+, and YouTube TV, as well as live HD broadcasts with an antenna. The whole thing can be rather confusing, especially when you're trying to pick the best streaming services for you. We'll walk you through everything you need to know to finally cut the cord and kick cable to the curb.

Not everyone is cut out to be a cord-cutter, though. Ditching your satellite or cable subscription and the bill it carries sounds great in theory, but it's not something you want to rush into without a bit of research. Let's go through the best methods for dropping traditional cable in favor of some of the best streaming services.
First things first: How's your internet?
The thing about internet-delivered TV is that you need a broadband connection that can keep up with the streaming lifestyle. This may seem like a foregone conclusion, but we want to make it clear that if you're going to bet your precious entertainment future on your home network, you had better have a solid internet connection. Netflix and other similar streaming video services suggest a minimum downstream speed of 5Mbps for HD streaming, but if you have inadequate home internet connection (like 5Mbps) that is not going to allow for a smooth streaming service experience, especially when you consider other devices also using the connection. You will likely experience buffering and possible crashing of the show you are streaming, especially for those with families or households streaming more than one show or movie at a time.
High-quality streaming needs higher-speed internet
Of course, if you're looking to get into the streaming big leagues to access the growing array of 4K Ultra HD streaming content available from Netflix, Amazon, Disney+, YouTube, and others, you'll want to kick up your broadband speed to at least 25Mbps. If you're only going to be downloading 4K content from sites like FandangoNow or Ultraflix -- which offer 4K content at speeds as low as 4Mbps to 10Mbps -- 25Mbps will probably suffice, but regardless of which streaming service you select, fast and reliable internet is key to a positive streaming experience.
Peak internet usage time can affect your streaming
We also recommend testing your internet speed at peak streaming hours (between 6 and 10 p.m. on weekdays) to determine if your neighborhood struggles under the strain of heavy traffic. For example, if you routinely get around 10Mbps downloads during the day, but that speed takes a dive to about 3Mbps around dinner time, you'll want to call your internet provider to see if anything can be done. Fortunately, this is an increasingly rare problem outside of rural areas, but better to check ahead.
Check your home network equipment
Don't forget to check your home network equipment. Most modern routers and modems should offer up all the speed you need, but non-gigabit equipment may not suffice for simultaneous 4K streams. Any hiccups in your experience also may be caused by weird technical issues such as improper port forwarding, wireless interference, or other random things that are tricky to track down, some of which we'll attempt to help you troubleshoot. If you're unsure about any of it, be sure to give your internet service provider a call.

Read more
Plex adds streaming discovery, search, and watchlists
Plex Discover screen.

Plex, the media server that lets you easily organize and access all of your personal movies, music, and photos, wants to become a one-stop-shop for streaming services, too. The company has added three new streaming-centric features: A streaming-based discovery tool, a universal search, and universal watchlists -- all of which are designed to decrease the amount of time you spend jumping back and forth between multiple apps as you attempt to answer the questions like, "Where can I watch [insert title of movie or TV show]?" or "What should I watch next?"
All streaming apps, one interface

The new features are free to use (no Plex Pass subscription required), but before you can take advantage of them, you'll need to be logged in to Plex with an account that has an associated email address. Guest accounts aren't supported at the moment. Plex will then ask that you identify which streaming services you subscribe to. Plex covers all the major players, like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and many of the smaller, niche services, too, so you should have no problem adding your favorites. There's no way to prevent Plex from promoting the availability of a certain movie or show from one of your non-subscribed services, but it will always prioritize the ones you have access to.
Discover what's streaming

Read more