Yahoo's Marissa Mayer-led shift toward a full-fledged video-network hub is gaining steam, a move that will be powered in part by talent poached from YouTube, according to a new report.
Citing sources close to the situation, Recode said the company is looking to ramp up its video-content offerings by convincing popular YouTubers unhappy with their deals to switch allegiances.
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However, the site added that Yahoo is focused on acquiring individual talent and channels rather than launching a standalone video site similar to YouTube.
Set to launch within the next few months, the effort to draw talent away from Google's video service reportedly hinges on offering more cash, according to Recode: "Yahoo executives have told video makers and owners that the company can offer them better economics than they’re getting on YouTube, either by improving the ad revenue or by offering guaranteed ad rates for their videos."
The move to snatch up some of YouTube's more popular video bloggers should come as no surprise to those who have been following Yahoo's video ambitions. Last year, the company demonstrated exactly how serious it is about prioritizing video by hiring Katie Couric as its "global anchor."
Prior to that, Yahoo announced an agreement to exclusively stream Saturday Night Live content. The deal was reemphasized in January at CES with the appearance of SNL's Cecily Strong and Kenan Thompson during Mayer's presentation.
Grabbing YouTube's top talent is becoming something of a trend. Disney snapped up YouTube network Maker Studios for $500 million on Monday, signaling that Google's online video site is officially a Hollywood player.
Yahoo did not immediately respond to Mashable's request for comment.