A year and a half later, Yahoo is already ditching it. The company has said that it is planning to "wind down its customer base."

"This decision will allow us to focus our resources on the continued improvement of our core video offerings, such as enhancing the consumer video experience on Yahoo!," the company said in a statement. "Since Q4 2008, we have closed or announced our intention to close, nearly twenty Yahoo! services– such as Yahoo! 360, GeoCities, My Web and Yahoo! Briefcase. We continue to evaluate our portfolio of products and services on a regular basis, and plan to share details of further changes with people who use our products in the months ahead."

Maven has been integrated into both Yahoo’s video player and the Yahoo video advertising platform. It is unclear what will be used as an alternative at this point.

Yahoo’s video ad products include in-player video advertising (pre- and post-roll), In-banner video advertising, and original video content sponsorships. They also offer opportunities for publishers.

The company says that while video initiatives are still a priority for its consumer and advertising experiences, they are increasing investment in some areas while scaling back in others.

Other video-related products that Yahoo has parted with include Y!Live and Jumpcut.

Maven Networks is an online video platform provider, and its customers include entities like CBS Sports, Gannett, The Financial Times, Fox News, Hearst, Ogilvy, Sony BMG, and Sony Pictures Television.  By joining Yahoo, Maven will hardly upend any pending deal with Microsoft, but it may add a little value to the equation.

Advertising is, after all, one of the most-mentioned aspects of the potential Yahoo-Microsoft arrangement, and video advertising is more or less the leading (profitable) edge in this field.  Mobile advertising is newer, but, well, it stinks.

On the Yodel Anecdotal blog, Hilary Schneider drives the point home by writing, "Forrester estimates that online video advertising will grow to more than $4 billion in 2011."

So we’ll see where the acquisition of Maven takes Yahoo.  And just in case you were wondering, neither Yahoo’s blog post nor its press release makes any mention of Microsoft.

The deal hasn’t been publicly announced just yet, and as you might have guessed from our title, the purchase price hasn’t been nailed down, either.  Still, assuming the Microsoft mess doesn’t delay matters, it’s pretty much a sure thing that the Internet TV specialist will become a Yahoo property within the next business day or so.

Maven Networks might have a lot to offer, too.  Michael Arrington, who first wrote about the acquisition, states, "Maven is a video-hosting platform for media sites, including Fox News, CBS Sports, CNet, and Scripps Networks.  But Yahoo would probably want it more for its video-ad network, targeting, and insertion technologies."

If Yahoo intends to remain separate from Microsoft, this sort of potentially profitable stuff might be a lifesaver.  On the other hand, many onlookers have suggested that the company cut away everything at which it’s not already good.  And if Microsoft buys Yahoo, well, none of this will matter much (at least in the short term) compared to the huge upheaval elsewhere.

Still, we thought it’d be nice to provide something other than "all Microsoft-Yahoo, all the time" coverage.  Hope you enjoyed the break.

Maven will work with TV Guide to launch broadband video for TV Guide on 300 video players to deliver media and entertainment content to the site’s user base. TV Guide has selected Maven to mange and monetize its library of videos. The Maven platform will act as a part of the foundation for TV Guide’s direct-to-consumer video offerings and ad revenue generation.

"There’s an old adage that content is king. Our video offerings already attract a sizable online audience, but with Maven’s viral syndication capabilities, we can continue to expand our user base," said Paul Greenberg, General Manager of TV Guide Online.

"The Maven Internet TV Platform, combined with the knowledge and expertise of Maven’s Media Services team, provided us with the right mix of technology, processes and people to help execute this large, complex project."

TVGuide.com has increased the appeal of its Internet video players, providing programming that features clips from television shows, behind-the-scenes footage, reviews and celebrity news.

"TV Guide is a powerful brand, and we’re excited to power its Internet TV initiatives," said Hilmi Ozguc, Founder and CEO of Maven Networks. "With Maven, TVGuide.com can expand its audience, enhance its viewing experience, and offer new opportunities to its advertisers."