Verizon Wireless plans to launch its over-the-top mobile video service, rumored to be called "Go90," in the coming days, and will initially offer free shows aimed at young viewers, according to a Bloomberg report.
The report, citing an unnamed person familiar with the matter, said the Go90 service, which has been in testing for a while now, will feature content only from a handful of media partners including AOL, Awesomeness TV, Vice Media and Viacom. Verizon has been testing the Go90 name with thousands of users, the report added, saying the term stems from the act of rotating a mobile device's screen 90-degrees sideways for video viewing.
According to the report, the service, which will be advertising-based, is a scaled down version of what Verizon had initially planned earlier this year, when it was contemplating a subscription-based mobile TV service with programming from ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, including live feeds and on-demand offerings. Verizon plans to introduce popular channels, NFL games and other programming in the coming year, the report said. Verizon said in July that HBO content, though not necessarily HBO Now, will be part of its over-the-the-top mobile video service.