Refocused Go.com to Expand Its Auction Block With Help of EBay
Walt Disney Co. will expand the auction offerings on its Go.com network of Web sites with the help of online auction leader EBay, the companies said Tuesday.
As part of a four-year deal, EBay will become the online trading service across all of Disney’s online properties, including Disney.com, ESPN.com and ABC.com.
The companies will also launch a co-branded trading site for Go.com--which Disney recently recast to focus on entertainment, recreation and leisure--and build sites allowing Disney to auction merchandise to consumers.
Go.com will pay EBay to host and run the sites, and EBay will pay Go.com for marketing and customer referrals.
The companies declined to reveal specifics of the deal, but “the great majority of the money is going toward Go.com,” said Brian Swette, EBay’s senior vice president for marketing.
The partnership is in line with Go.com’s new focus because “auctions are very entertaining,” said Steve Bornstein, chairman of Go.com in North Hollywood.
Go.com, a tracking stock that reflects the performance of Disney’s Internet assets, climbed $1.19 to close at $29 Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange. Shares of San Jose-based EBay gained 19 cents to close at $169.75 in Nasdaq trading.
