Verizon: Average Go90 User Streams 30 Minutes Daily

20 Oct, 2016 By: Erik Gruenwedel

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Verizon Oct. 20 revealed that the average go90 user streams about 30 minutes worth of content a day — with more than 80% of the platform’s traffic originating outside of the telecom’s network. The telecom did not disclose total viewers and related data.

Founded a year ago, go90 is an ad-supported app owned by Verizon subsidiary AOL aimed at mobile consumers interested in short-form video, movie clips, TV shows, infotainment, news and related content.

The platform’s traction was driven in part by the July release of original series “The Runner,” an interactive game format from Ben Affleck and Matt Damon with a reported multimillion-dollar production.

“It’s a TV show that no TV network could have put on — a 30-day, every day, social show,” Chip Canter, Verizon’s GM of digital entertainment and Go90, told Variety. “It marries everything Go90 is about: premium, mobile, live and an innovative format.”

Pending original go90 series include “Raising Heaven,” a six-episode series debuting Oct. 24 and featuring YouTube stars Heaven King and her mom, Tianne King. Fox News host Megyn Kelly’s political comedy series, “Embeds,” is slated to stream Election Day (Nov. 8).

During the quarter AOL expanded go90 participation in FreeBee Data 360, a sponsored service that allows customers to screen live sports, including NFL games and music, without accounting against the Verizon data cap.

“We are seeing increased engagement in the [go90] application,” outgoing CFO Fran Schammo said on the fiscal call.

Notably, despite media reports suggesting NFL TV viewership is lagging in the current season, the CFO said football streaming on go90 is doing well.

“We've actually seen a healthy increase year-over-year on our platform around the NFL,” he said.

Meanwhile, Verizon added 63,000 Fios video subscribers in the third quarter (ended Sept. 30), to end the fiscal period with 4.67 million, up 1.4% from 4.61 million during the previous-year period.
 

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