Yahoo to Lead Ad Sales in Microsoft Search Deal (Updated with additional links)

On Wednesday, Microsoft and Yahoo are expected to announce a new search agreement that could trigger a major re-ordering of the online ad business and create what they hope will be a more-credible competitor to Google. Through the pact, Bing will become the default search engine on Yahoo, creating a search player with close to 30% market share of search queries, compared with Google's 65%. Yahoo is likely to take on exclusive representation of Bing inventory to eliminate channel conflict and complexity for advertisers, but not before both sides unwind the thousands of advertiser relationships and proprietary systems through which many large advertisers buy search ads. Microsoft's AdCenter is expected to be the sales-technology platform.

• Microsoft and Yahoo seal deal (FT)
  http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9487c65e-7c6c-11de-a7bf-00144feabdc0.html
• Microsoft, Yahoo finally sign search deal (SF Chronicle)
  http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/07/29/BU73190UAS.DTL
• Microsoft, Yahoo strike deal to share tech, ad revenue (USAToday) http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20090730/msoftyahoo30_st.art.htm
• Microsoft beefs up in battle with Google over search engine market (LATimes) http://www.latimes.com/news/la-fi-microsoft-yahoo30-2009jul30,0,6757163....
• Key dates in the deal (USAToday)
  http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20090730/yahoo30_va.art.htm
• Yahoo-Microsoft deal is bold step for Bartz (USAToday)
  http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20090730/yahoo30_st.art.htm
• Yahoo Tie-Up Is Latest Sign Tide Turning for Microsoft's Ballmer (WSJ)
  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124890663497891625.html#mod=todays_us_pa...
• An Internet Landmark Heads to the Recycle Bin (WashPost)http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/29/AR200907...
• Yahoo investors disappointed, but hold out hope (Reuters)http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssTechMediaTelecomNews/idUSN29519733200...
• Ad executives give Microsoft-Yahoo deal thumbs up (Reuters)
  http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssTechMediaTelecomNews/idUSN29519484200...