A snapshot of SVOD services that didn’t survive or make it off the launch pad:
Shomi: Envisioned as a competitor to Netflix, this Canadian service, run by Rogers Communications and Shaw Communications, debuted in November 2014 on several streaming platforms as well as MVPD-supplied set-top boxes, but was shut down about two years later. Despite its approaching 900,000 subscribers, changes in the “business climate” and the online video market spurred the decision to fold.
Seeso, the comedy-focused SVOD from NBCUniversal, launched in January 2016 and was shut down late last year, though some Seeso originals live on at VRV. A specific reason was not disclosed, but people familiar with the offering said NBCU set high expectations for the service and then lost patience.
Comic-Con HQ, a service backed by Lionsgate launched in May 2016, confirmed plans to close down its subscription business last fall and instead license content to distribution partners, according to Variety.
Vimeo’s intentions to launch a subscription video service didn’t get off the ground, as plans were scotched last June as the company refocused its business on the creator community.
Taking aim at Crunchyroll, Amazon Channels launched Anime Strike in January 2017, and Heera, a service dedicated to Bollywood content, in March 2017, but shuttered both as standalone service less than a year later.
Content from both services have reportedly been bundled with Amazon’s Prime Video service.
Fullscreen Media shut down its SVOD service in January 2018, less than two years after its debut, holding that it was a longer-term investment that limited its ability to invest in other divisions, including Rooster Teeth.
