E-COMMERCE Yahoo Joins Sony In Marketing Pact; Deal's Size Unclear.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)

Byline: Pete Barlas

America Online is bulking up, thanks to its merger with Time Warner Inc. That has rival Yahoo Inc. looking for some big friends of its own.

The company found one Tuesday. It announced it's entering a broad marketing partnership with Japan's Sony Corp.

The pair will create a new Web site to promote and sell Sony's electronic gadgets and games. Sony also will bring its entertainment content, such as film trailers, to Yahoo's Web site.

Though it's unknown how much money will change hands, the arrangement should let each company leverage its strengths. Yahoo will provide its Web site development skills and Sony will provide the content, says Terry Semel, chief executive of Santa Clara, Calif.-based Yahoo.

"For Yahoo, the opportunity is to leverage some of our key assets . . . brand and content distribution," he said during a conference call Tuesday.

Sony is one of the largest media companies in the world. It has units that lead in consumer electronics and in the film industry.