Verizon has announced that two of the internet's biggest early names AOL and Yahoo will soon operate under one banner.
Tim Amstrong, who heads up Verizon's AOL division, took to Twitter on Monday to welcome "Oath" to the world...
Billion+ Consumers, 20+ Brands, Unstoppable Team. #TakeTheOath. Summer 2017. pic.twitter.com/tM3Ac1Wi36
— Tim Armstrong (@timarmstrongaol) April 3, 2017
Verizon is set to complete its $4.48 billion purchase of Yahoo's internet assets by the end of June. From that point on, Oath will be the primary name you see connected with Verizon's digital media division, representing its family of digital content services.
The company is not, however, killing off the old brands completely.
The New York Times reports that Verizon is keenly aware that the long-running relationship Yahoo has with customers retains considerable value. It means Yahoo Finance and Yahoo Sports will continue to exist, as will your old @yahoo.com email address. Similarly, The Huffington Post, AOL.com and AOL Mail will survive under the Oath umbrella.
The new main moniker has received much ridicule on social media since the announcement, with unfavourable comparisons being drawn with the much-derided rebrand of Tribune Publishing - which operates the likes of The Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune – as "Tronc" last year.
I didn't think Tronc was that bad. But Oath? What the hell.
— Sana Saeed (@SanaSaeed) April 3, 2017
Oath. Tronc. New Coke.
— Jason Hirschhorn (@JasonHirschhorn) April 3, 2017
Tribune Publishing: "We will now be known as Tronc."
Verizon: “Hold my beer.” https://t.co/KSP4C87tEO
— A.J. Perez (@byajperez) April 3, 2017
