Verizon’s coming “mobile-first” subscription video service will be network-agnostic, but will “work best” on those operated by the carrier, Marni Walden, EVP and president of product innovation and new business at Verizon, said.
Walden (pictured), speaking Tuesday on conference call following Verizon’s completed acquisition of AOL, shed some light on that OTT offering, noting it will feature on-demand and some live TV when it launches later this summer.
It will run on any network, including those run by competitors, but “will work best on Verizon networks,” she said.
Walden also confirmed that “ad-sponsored data” will be part of Verizon’s new offering, and that the carrier believes it is “well within the ability to do that” in the wake of the FCC’s new network neutrality rules.
In addition to ad-supported products, Verizon will also offer “some premium offers as we evolve the product,” she said, noting that there are no current plans to provide the service outside the U.S.
Walden said some live content will be delivered on the service via Verizon Wireless’s network using bandwidth-friendly LTE multicast techniques. Instead of delivering unicast streams to each person viewing the video, multicast will rely on a dedicated portion of LTE spectrum to deliver live video to multiple devices that are connected to an individual cell site.
Verizon has announced several content partners for the new service, including ACC Digital Network, Campus Insiders, CBS Sports, ESPN, 120 Sports and Awesomeness TV.
