Mobile and broadband network Verizon announces plans to launch a video streaming service with ‘Shrek’ creator DreamWorks Animations.
The video streaming space is already incredibly crowded; there’s Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Instant Video, PlayStation Vue, the recently announced HBO Now and both AT&T and Showtime are working on streaming services of their own. So how about we throw another hat into the ring? Mobile network Verizon has now announced plans to enter the space this Summer, although their streaming venture does not yet have a name.
No, Verizon’s streaming service doesn’t have a name but it does have a serious partner in the form of DreamWorks Animations, best known as the company that invades your nightmares with Shrek and has entertained you with franchises like Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda and How To Train Your Dragon. This partnership includes DreamWorks’ movies as well as their AwesomenessTV unit, which is responsible for many hit videos about pop culture on YouTube.
According to Verizon, AwesomenessTV will provide more than 200 hours of content and these will have their own channel aimed at teenagers and young people. A DreamWorksTV channel meanwhile will be more family focused and will feature “live action and animated short-form content as well as some of DreamWorks Animation’s most recognizable characters.”
Additionally, Verizon executives have previously said that they’re talking to other traditional TV networks. It’s unclear on which TV networks those will be and what Verizon’s offering can do differently to Netflix who seem to have the streaming game sewn up. We don’t even know pricing for this service, if existing Verizon customers will gain access to their streaming service for free or if this will be completely separate entity to their existing business (which is what Dish Netowkr has done with Sling TV).
There are an awful lot of questions that need to be answered before Verizon launches this sometime in the Summer, so we’ll keep you posted once we know more.
Source: re/code
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