Video is clearly a focus for telco carriers – all of the major players have their own video-centric offerings to capitalize users’ massive hunger for entertainment. But while video is top-of-mind for all, each carrier has approached it differently. T-Mobile chose a hands-off partnership approach to give the people what they already loved through Binge On. AT&T went the acquisition route with DirecTV, which it recently parlayed into an over-the-top mobile video app. And Verizon has followed its traditional preference for doing things in-house, developing and launching original content via its go90 app.
With the close of its massive Yahoo deal finally in sight, could Verizon be eyeing an even bigger OTT gamble a la AT&T? It seems possible.
Speaking at an investor conference on Monday, Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam said that once the Yahoo deal closes and integration is complete, a “platform will be in place to do an over-the-top play.” McAdam added that the deal is expected to wrap up in mid-June.
Part of Verizon’s potential offering could involve prepositioning of content across the vertical assets Yahoo will bring to the table – news, sports, finance, entertainment, and lifestyle. For example, McAdam noted that when there’s a football game on (that’s sports, folks), content could be lined up in lifestyle finance, and news relating to star players in the game.
In terms of timeline, McAdam added that Verizon has “a big thing to chew on” when it comes to merging AOL and Yahoo’s assets. In the immediate future, much of the work will focus on filling in smaller content pieces, he said. But a few years out? “Who knows,” McAdam hinted.
Filed Under: Apps
