Yahoo! Extends License Agreement With RealNetworks

A deal between RealNetworks and Yahoo! was announced today to extend their license agreement. The terms of the agreement were not released.

This means that Yahoo! Broadcast will deploy RealNetworks' RealSystem G2, for usethroughout its network.

Although things seem happy now, the deal seemed less likley a few weeks ago when Yahoo! was reported to have said that they would be dropping RealNetworks and use Microsoft's Windows Media. Unsurprisingly this caught many webcasters off guard and raised speculation that relations between RealNetworks and Yahoo! were cooling off.

In a release today, Yahoo! praises RealNetworks products. Kevin Parke, vice president of Yahoo! Broadcast said, "We are pleased to extend ourrelationship with RealNetworks as a streaming technology solution for ourbusiness services customers and consumers and to maintain our commitment toprovide choices for Yahoo! users and customers."

Yahoo! Broadcast and RealNetworks have a five-year relationship dating back to when the company was called broadcast.com