The Yahoo Connected TV service, which provides widgets and apps on TVs, is expanding its developer program today. Originally launched earlier this year, Yahoo’s API that allows developers to build app for connected TVs is now providing developers the opportunity to create Paid TV Widgets to be featured in the Yahoo Connected TV Store expected to launch in the Spring of 2011.
The Yahoo Connected TV service allows users to access more than 80 Yahoo TV Widgets, including those for Twitter, Pandora, eBay, CBS, and USA Today, and thousands of content sources.
The company has struck deals with TV manufacturers including Sony, Samsung, VIZIO, LG, and Toshiba, to include the service on their TVs at sale. Yahoo says that up to 70% of the TVs sold with Yahoo Connected TV are connected to the Internet and up to 60% of TVs sold with Yahoo Connected TV become monthly users.
Now developers can create paid TV widgets through the widget development kit. Paid Widget pricing will be a one-time purchase between $0.99 to $99.00. Yahoo will handle payment processing for the Paid TV Widgets and deliver payments to Paid TV Widget developers, based on a revenue share of 70% of the purchase price. The Paid TV Widget developer program is initially open to developers and publishers in the US, UK, Germany, Spain, Sweden, France, Canada and Australia.
It’s unclear how much of a future Yahoo Connected TV has now that Google has introduced a similar service with Google TV. Yahoo partner Samsung TV is planning to integrate Google TV into its televisions.
Yahoo was founded in 1994 by Stanford Ph.D. students David Filo and Jerry Yang. It has since evolved into a major internet brand with search, content verticals, and other web services. Yahoo! Inc. (Yahoo!), incorporated in 1995, is a global Internet brand. To users, the Company provides owned and operated online properties and services (Yahoo! Properties, Offerings, or Owned and Operated sites). Yahoo! also extends its marketing platform and access to Internet users beyond Yahoo! Properties through its distribution network...
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