Verizon launches +play and other streaming news

The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that Verizon Communications Inc. wants to offer some customers a free year of Netflix Inc. if they choose to sign up for a rival service through its subscription marketplace. According to the report, Verizon would provide new and current postpaid wireless or 5G wireless home internet subscribers with a year of free access to Netflix’s premium tier if they purchased a yearly or season-long subscription to one of the services provided through +play, a new location to manage various subscriptions.

In addition to Netflix, there are already more than 20 services included in Verizon’s ecosystem of subscription content. Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, HBO Max, discovery+, AMC+, NFL+, NBA League Pass, Peloton, A+E Networks, The Athletic, Calm, and Duolingo are a few of them. Additional streaming services will be available in 2023.

Erin McPherson, Verizon’s chief content officer, said, by working together with Netflix, we can provide clients with all of their favourite material as well as a unique deal that is only accessible in +play. Verizon and the industry as a whole have reached a significant milestone, and we are very happy to continue to lead the way in the emerging era of content and subscription services. Click here to read more.

Vevo’s channels will join Freevee in the first wave in the US. However, the business claimed that other launches in significant European markets are also planned for 2023. On Fire TV, Fire Tablets, and within the Prime Video app, users have access to these channels via the Freevee app. On non-Freevee devices, Freevee is additionally a mobile application.

The linear programming on each Vevo channel on Freevee is devoted to a particular decade, genre, or theme. Vevo Pop, Vevo Country, Vevo Hip Hop, Vevo R&B, Vevo Latino, Vevo Reggaeton & Trap, Vevo ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, Vevo ‘2K, and Vevo Holiday make up the channel roster upon launch.

Amazon and Vevo have already collaborated to provide music fans with on-demand, premium music video content through the Vevo app on Fire TV and Echo Show. A streaming video service called Amazon Freevee, formerly known as IMDb TV, offers hundreds of expensive films and TV episodes, including Originals and FAST channels. Click here to read more.

As part of an expanded partnership with the TV manufacturer, NBCUniversal announced it is launching Dateline 24/7 on Samsung TV Plus as a free, ad-supported streaming TV channel.

Matt Schnaars, president, NBCUniversal Content Distribution, said, “Samsung’s touchpoints across all devices are important destinations for viewers who rely on NBCUniversal brands as trusted places of information and entertainment,”

In the competitive world of streaming news, NBC News Now, which debuted in 2019, is beginning to stand out. In March, it became the first streaming news service to receive distribution in the United Kingdom. According to Forbes, it is expected to turn a profit this year.

According to a recent study, 57 million American households will utilise at least one ad-supported streaming service by the year 2027. Samsung TV Plus is making every effort to ensure that it will rank highly among the services that will be in use by that time by enhancing its live news programming and increasing the number of channels available. Click here to read more.

PBS has disclosed a new collaboration with Allen Media Group, the company behind Local Now, a free streaming platform. Over the coming months, Local Now will start receiving live streaming of local PBS stations from more than 300 American markets thanks to the agreement; the full launch will occur in 2023.

In more than 225 markets around the U.S., Local Now offers localized news, weather, sports, traffic, and entertainment that is produced by numerous top news organizations.

More than 450 free-streaming channels, including a Local Now channel in each DMA across the nation, plus more than 18,000 films, TV series, and documentaries are available. Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Xfinity, Vizio, Samsung, Android, and iOS devices all support the Local Now app. Click here to read more.