Yahoo Reportedly Plans To Produce 4 Original TV Series

SUNNYVALE (CBS SF) -- Yahoo is planning to roll out its own original, cable TV-style programming, according to a published report.

The Wall Street Journal reported Yahoo is close to ordering four web series that would be 10-episode, half-hour comedies led by writers and directors with experience producing television programming.

The budgets for the TV series would be in the $700,000 range, according to the report.

Yahoo would then be competing with cable outlets and other online providers such as Netflix, Amazon.com and Hulu in the increasingly crowded market for original TV shows.

CEO Marissa Mayer has made video is a priority for the company since she taking over the top spot at the Sunnyvale-based Internet giant in July of 2012.

Since then, Yahoo has exclusively licensed archived content from NBC's Saturday Night Live along with "The Daily Show," "The Colbert Report" and other Viacom shows. The Yahoo Screen mobile video app also features both well-known brand content and Yahoo original material.

Most recently, Yahoo has reportedly looked to acquire video syndicator NDN and poach popular YouTube video creators to help Yahoo build its network.