Seattle/Los Angeles, Oct 31: Yahoo Inc. is preparing to phase out its online video subscription service and fold it into a wider offering of premium services, people familiar with the Internet company's plans said on Thursday.
Yahoo's Platinum service, launched in March, currently offers a range of news, sports and entertainment, including content from ABC News, National Geographic and CBS' reality franchise "Survivor" for a monthly fee of $9.95.



The company plans to fold that material into Yahoo Plus, an upcoming news, sports and entertainment package and to make more free video programming available through its popular portal, those familiar with its plans said.



Joanna Stevens, a Yahoo spokeswoman asked to comment on the sources' information, said only that Yahoo's video content and the business models for it were evolving.

"We haven't talked about any specific plans for Yahoo Platinum," Stevens said. "This is still a relatively new area for Internet consumers."

Bureau Report