Verizon is working on a streaming television service that was originally meant to debut in 2017, but its launch date has been pushed back to 2018, reports Bloomberg. Verizon is now said to be aiming to launch its online TV service in the spring of 2018, marking yet another delay as the company struggles to find a way to compete with the many existing services on the market.
Staff shuffling, negotiations for streaming rights, and technology reboots are also said to have affected Verizon's timeline. Final deals for the service have not yet been established.
While Verizon has shared its plans with TV networks, the timing of the web-based, live TV service's introduction remains tentative and could be further postponed, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private information.
Rumors about Verizon's streaming TV service first surfaced in March of 2017, and at that time, Verizon was said to be planning to launch it in the summer of 2017. Verizon has been working on establishing deals with TV networks and cable companies head of the service's launch.
Verizon's streaming TV option will compete with myriad other TV services available now, including DirecTV Now, Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, YouTube TV, and Hulu Live TV.
Rumors have suggested the service will offer "dozens" of channels and will be a separate offering from Verizon's teen-based go90 video app and FiOS Home TV. Verizon is said to be aiming to hit a starting price point between $20 and $35, but the company has not yet decided if it will offer a standalone service or a partnership.
Verizon sees a television platform as a way to increase revenue from advertising and to support AOL and Yahoo.
Verizon is likely to offer its TV service on a range of platforms that include the Apple TV and iOS devices, but it is not yet clear whether customers will need to have Verizon wireless phone service to sign up for a subscription.
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