Not to be outdone by YouTube or contest-based startups like Bix and SingShot, Yahoo today launched Yahoo! Talent Show, which they're marketing as the world's biggest talent contest. The eight-week long contest hopes to find original talent, with the winner receiving US$50,000 and a deal to host their own show on Yahoo. The contest, however, is US-only, which rules out a huge talent pool and throws into question any claims of being the "biggest ever". Submissions begin on October 23rd and end on November 27th - what's more, users get to vote for their favorites, thus providing hours of fun for anyone who wants to game the system (and they will). The maximum length of a clip is 10 minutes.
This is pretty much typical of Yahoo's backward strategy. First off, a contest is no way to build long term value - it gets a little press buzz, but you can't deny that Google is going to come out ahead here. But more annoying is the way they launched it: with a "pretty" professional presenter in a studio reading some lines. That's typical of Yahoo's patronizing way of believing that professional content will win the day. The AskaNinja character makes an appearance too, and frankly he should be the spokesperson for the entire project: as someone who rose through the ranks on YouTube, the Ninja is the perfect example of talent winning out in this new media space. Also note the video-sharing site mentioned in that last sentence: YouTube. Not Yahoo Video. YouTube is the king maker these days, and Yahoo know it.