TOKYO - SoftBank's internet business Z Holdings Corp said on Monday it has agreed to pay Verizon Communications Inc 178.5 billion yen ($1.61 billion) to secure the rights to Yahoo branding and technology in perpetuity in Japan.

In contrast to the retreat of Yahoo in the United States, the brand remains a core part of SoftBank's domestic internet business where the name adorns a web portal and services like shopping and weather.

Verizon is offloading https://www.reuters.com/technology/apollo-acquire-verizons-media-assets-5-bln-2021-05-03 its media businesses including Yahoo and AOL to private equity firm Apollo Global after struggling to compete with internet giants in a $5 billion deal set to close in the second half of this year.

Previously known as Yahoo Japan, SoftBank's internet business rebranded as Z Holdings and is betting on services such as payments app PayPay https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/softbanks-paypay-surges-ahead-japans-digital-payments-race-2021-06-11 and chat app Line for growth in Japan and Southeast Asia.

  - Reuters