Sources say launch of Verizon's new live online TV service, which is separate from Go90, is delayed until Spring 2018 at the earliest
Context & Ripple Effects
The delay extends an arc that began when Bloomberg reported in March that Verizon aimed to sell a live online TV package with dozens of channels by summer 2017 — a target now pushed to Spring 2018 at the earliest. It is a cautious sequel to go90: Verizon's 2015 mobile video bet spent $200M+ on programming but stumbled on discovery, forcing a rebuild around Vessel's tech team before this separate live-TV effort was even announced.
First-order effects
- Verizon's entry into live streaming TV slips past the 2017 holiday season, leaving it on the sidelines while rivals' services capture subscribers and its network carriage negotiations stay open longer.
Second-order effects
- A delayed in-house build raises the appeal of distribution partnerships — a path Verizon ultimately took when it sought Google or Apple as a TV partner for its 5G home launches in LA and Sacramento.
Third-order effects
- If carrier-built TV keeps proving harder than planned — T-Mobile later delayed its own TV service for the same reason — wireless operators structurally shift from owning the service to renting someone else's platform, with carriers supplying connectivity rather than competing on content.
The trend: Wireless carriers' ambitions to become pay-TV distributors keep slipping on execution, pushing Verizon and peers toward partnerships with established platforms instead of in-house services.