Oath is the new name for AOL and Yahoo, we swear!

4 Apr 2017

Image: hasan eroglu/Shutterstock

AOL and Yahoo take a new Oath, but Marissa Mayer may not swear in.

AOL CEO Tim Armstrong has confirmed the new name for the combined AOL and Yahoo internet properties: Oath.

Armstrong confirmed the new brand in a tweet urging users to #TakeTheOath.

Billion+ Consumers, 20+ Brands, Unstoppable Team. #TakeTheOath. Summer 2017. pic.twitter.com/tM3Ac1Wi36

— Tim Armstrong (@tim_armstrong) April 3, 2017

The new Oath brand will combine Verizon’s own digital units with those of Yahoo and AOL.

This will culminate in a digital powerhouse consisting of 1bn-plus consumers and more than 20 global brands.

Verizon’s acquisition of Yahoo (now valued at $4.4bn) is expected to close in June. A number of high-profile data breaches saw Verizon reduce the value of the deal by $350m.

A digital powerhouse for the programmatic era

Verizon intends to capitalise on its potential for digital advertising, especially in the realms of programmatic direct to smartphone devices.

The core of the new Oath brand will be services such as Yahoo Sports and Finance as well as AOL brands such as TechCrunch and The Huffington Post.

In related news, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer is unlikely to be part of Oath. Recode cited sources that indicate Tim Armstrong will lead the new business.

In recent weeks, we reported that Mayer is likely to resign from the company after the sale of Yahoo concludes, and she may be awarded a severance package worth $23m.

Twitter’s reaction to the new brand name has been mixed.

…Instead of Oath, how about rebranding it under this catchy name… Compuserve! @verizon @Yahoo @AOL #taketheoath

— Keith Tuller (@KeithTuller) April 4, 2017