Sadly, this new frontier is disappearing forever.
The Hollywood Reporter reports that Verizon will shut down its Go90 digital platform. The app, which offered free ad-supported video streams, will cease operations on July 30. In a statement, Verizon stated that “Following the creation of Oath, go90 will be discontinued […] Verizon will focus on building its digital-first brands at scale in sports, finance, news and entertainment for today’s mobile consumers and tomorrow’s 5G applications.”
Go90 launched in October 2015. Verizon was initially bullish on the app, investing millions to license sports content, as well as short-form programs from players like Funny or Die. In the anime world, both Aniplex of America and Viz Media hosted titles on the platform.
The application saw a sluggish start, though, with few breakout hits and growing competition from players like Netflix and YouTube. The application saw numerous relaunches and refocusing initiatives, which ultimately culminated in a round of layoffs in 2017. Verizon officially acquired Yahoo! last year, and merged the organization with AOL to form Oath.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Verizon Shutting Down Go90 Streaming Service on 7/30/2018 – Samantha Ferreira
