Verizon is reportedly looking to launch an online TV service similar to Sling TV, PlayStation Vue and DIRECTV NOW. According to a few sources of both Reuters and Bloomberg, the telecom giant has already signed licensing deals with a few channels for their upcoming service. It’s unclear what those channels are, or when Verizon is planning to launch this service. But it’ll likely be later this year. Verizon is looking to offer a package with “dozens of channels” for those cord-cutters out there. This is a space that is already getting to be pretty competitive, and packed of other competitors, including Comcast who is looking to join this year.
Verizon has had their Go90 service available for quite some time now, but it will differ from this TV service that they are putting together. Where this service would offer live TV, Go90 is still offering original content (more or less). It’s unclear whether they would both be separate or morph into one service. Currently, Go90 is free and ad supported, but that likely won’t work for a TV service, seeing as channels are wanting higher licensing fees, and the ads are delivered by the channels and not Verizon itself.
This move is part of a shift that we are beginning to see with content and wireless carriers as of late. Carriers know that video is where everything is right now, and they want to own the video. Which is why AT&T bought and then launched DIRECTV NOW, and why Verizon is looking to offer up their own service. With many people looking to cut the cord, there is a pretty large audience out there for this service, but no service has been able to completely replace cable TV just yet. While some excel in some areas, others are missing out on specific channels, on-demand content or even just reliability (an issue that DIRECTV NOW had when it launched, and still has, in some respects). But with more competition in the space, this should get better and be a lot more competitive – even driving down prices, which would also be good. Seeing as these online TV services are still priced about the same as cable TV.