IMG World Congress: Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz Gives Keynote Address

Bartz Feels Free Online Content Is "Clearly The Future"

Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz yesterday during a keynote address at the IMG World Congress of Sports presented by SportsBusiness Journal/Daily said online content will remain almost entirely free, with the noted exception of some premium video content and specialized material, despite efforts by some mainstream media outlets to implement paywalls. "Free is clearly the future," Bartz said. "In our own case, after we dropped fees on fantasy (live scoring), our audience went up by double-digit percentages, and more than that, we saw improved engagement across Yahoo. It was something we agonized about initially, but it's been a really big insight not only to us but our advertisers." Bartz also discussed several prevailing trends now emerging online, including the growth of social media-related material and the deep personalization of the online experience, and used the forum, as expected, to formally announce Yahoo's acquisition of S.F.-based Citizen Sports Network. "This is an amazing company that's brought social relevance to the sports world," Bartz said of the Citizen Sports acquisition, brokered in large part by Yahoo VP/Media Jimmy Pitaro. "I am extremely happy this has happened." Like many others, Bartz said she sees continued improvement in the national economy at large, and the online advertising market specifically. But she added, "If Washington doesn't settle down, trying constantly to do this and do that, then the American consumer won't settle down."

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