Speculation on a Yahoo!, Microsoft merger

Wednesday, March 12, 2008 | 7:40 p.m. | By Eric Fisher | Comments | Print

Chatter around the corridors today was at a steady froth regarding what will ultimately happen to Yahoo!, which is the subject of a buyout offer from Microsoft. Most World Congress attendees believe Yahoo!, losing market share in many non-sports areas (including searches) and under mounting financial pressure, will eventually have no choice but to accept Microsoft's overtures — a notion burnished by Rupert Murdoch's recently stated stance to not have News Corp. challenge Microsoft for control of the company. Several Yahoo! executives and partners are here, including Yahoo! Sports general manager Jimmy Pitaro, Yahoo! Sports executive editor Dave Morgan, and Jorge Consuegra, Yahoo! vice president of international marketing. The company deliberations, however, are happening at much higher corporate level.

"That is way above my pay grade," Pitaro said. "All I can do is keep my head down and keep working to build the product, which is what we are doing. We're still investing and building in sports."