Verizon today announced plans to launch +Play, a new streaming aggregation platform that will consolidate access to Netflix and other services.
+Play will pull together customer subscriptions across entertainment, audio, gaming, fitness, music, lifestyle and more, which the company said will provide ‘an easier way to manage subscriptions across any and all devices, and for a more effective way to discover new content.” The company said the platform will also get Verizon customers in on exclusive deals and offerings for content services.
Verizon in addition to Netflix has signed on Peloton, WW International, A+E Networks, The Athletic, Calm, Duolingo, TelevisaUnivision’s Vix+, and Live Nation’s Veeps livestreaming concert service for +Play. The platform will also allow customers to buy and access streaming services that currently have promotional agreements with Verizon including Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, Discovery+ and AMC+.
The company said it will begin testing the platform later this month before launching it for all consumers later this year.
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“+play is a natural extension of our core strengths. Through premium content and entertainment relationships, we have a track record as one of the largest and most successful direct to consumer platforms in the country,” said Manon Brouillette, executive vice president and CEO of Verizon Consumer Group. “We already support the management of millions of Verizon-offered content subscriptions and +play will further enhance our Mix & Match plan proposition by scaling choice through aggregation – choice of connectivity, choice of device, and now choice of content and digital services with added perks and offers in a one stop shop.”
It’s unclear if all the abovementioned streaming services will be available for purchase on +play or if the platform will just provide access for existing subscribers. During Thursday’s investor presentation, Brouillette said +Play will have a revenue-sharing agreement with all partners and that every partner deal will include some type of promotion for Verizon customers. She also said that +Play will be available for Verizon’s mobile users and through connected TV platforms in the living room, and that she expects more partners to be announced in the coming months leading up to launch.
According to Variety, Verizon today also talked about a new partnership with Meta to explore VR and AR cloud rendering and low-latency streaming in the wider context of Facebook’s metaverse strategy.