Yahoo and CNET Pair Up

Coming fast on the heels of the Yahoo and Google ad pairing is Yahoo's new partnership with CNET. The two companies signed an agreement tying them together via content and ad sales for three years this week. For the next three years Yahoo will be able to sell ad placements on CNET's network, and CNET will provide content for Yahoo's sites, as well as sell ads.

"Working together, we have the ability to build more robust content environments and more comprehensive programs for our marketing partners," CNET CEO Neil Ashe was quoted as saying in the press release. The partnership could be a boon to both companies. Yahoo needs any help it can get to fight off a hostile takeover by Microsoft, up to and including partnering with Google and CNET for ads and content, and CNET has had some financial woes.

Yahoo isn't the only one currently under takeover threat, either. CNET is under fire by Jana Partners (a hedge fund), which is trying to take over its board and gain control of the company. Much like Yahoo, CNET is struggling to fight the company off under the heavy weight of a net loss of nearly $16 million USD over the last two years. Meanwhile Yahoo is facing a deadline given to them by Microsoft, after which Microsoft plans to take their hostile takeover to a proxy battle.