Go90
{{short description|American video streaming service}}
{{lowercase title}}
{{use mdy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox company
| name = go90
| logo = Go90 logo.jpg
| industry = Online video
| founded = {{Start date and age|2015|10|01}}
| defunct = {{End date and age|2018|07|31}}
| hq_location_country = United States
| key_people = Brian Angiolet (SVP Chief Content Officer), Richard Tom (GM and CTO, Verizon Digital Entertainment)
| products = Streaming service
Television
Movies
| owner = Verizon Communications
}}
go90 was an American Internet television service and mobile app owned and operated by Verizon Communications. The service was positioned as a mobile-oriented "social entertainment platform" targeted primarily towards millennials, featuring a mixture of new and acquired content from various providers. The service was available exclusively within the United States.
The service was plagued by an unsuccessful launch, credited to poor content discoverability and a lack of firm content strategy, resulting in managerial turnover (including a relaunch of the service by the staff of Verizon acquisition and former competitor, Vessel). Including acquisitions that became the basis of the service (such as Intel's OnCue project, and later Vessel), it was estimated that Verizon had spent $1.2 billion on the service.
On July 31, 2018, after attempts to promote go90's content via Verizon's AOL and Yahoo! properties (including blogging platform Tumblr), the service was shut down.
History
In January 2014, Verizon acquired the talent and assets of OnCue—a then-planned subscription streaming service in development by Intel—for around $200 million.{{cite web|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2014/01/21/intel-sells-oncue-tv-business-or-verizon.html|title=Intel sells OnCue TV business to Verizon|website=CNBC|access-date=April 3, 2018|date=January 21, 2014|last=Scolaro|first=Christina}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-01-21/verizon-agrees-to-acquire-intel-media-to-expand-web-tv-offers|website=Bloomberg|title=Verizon Said to Spend Less Than $200 Million on Intel TV|access-date=April 3, 2018|date=January 21, 2014|last1=Moritz|first1=Scott|last2=King|first2=Ian}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/how-verizons-go90-ended-up-as-a-mobile-only-video-service/|title=How Verizon's Go90 ended up as a mobile-only video service|date=2015-09-15|work=CNET|access-date=2018-06-29|language=en}} In September 2015, Verizon unveiled a streaming service based on the assets, known as go90. It was described as being a mobile-first "social entertainment platform" targeting millennial demographics, featuring video content from various partners, as well as features such as the ability to join "crews" related to shows, and to create clips from its shows and share them on social networks. The name "go90" referred to the practice of rotating a smartphone to landscape orientation to watch videos, a 90-degree rotation.{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2015/digital/news/verizon-go90-free-mobile-video-bandwidth-charges-1201587755/|title=Verizon Launches Go90 Free Mobile-Video App to Chew Up Wireless Bandwidth|last=Spangler|first=Todd|date=2015-09-08|website=Variety|language=en|access-date=2019-08-14}} Verizon planned to leverage ad technology and content assets it acquired in its purchase of AOL,{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2015/10/01/verizons-mobile-video-service-go90-launches-to-public/|title=Verizon's Mobile Video Service Go90 Launches To Public – TechCrunch|website=TechCrunch|date=October 2015 |language=en-US|access-date=2018-06-29}}{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2015/digital/news/verizon-go90-free-mobile-video-bandwidth-charges-1201587755/|title=Verizon Launches Go90 Free Mobile-Video App to Chew Up Wireless Bandwidth|last=Spangler|first=Todd|date=2015-09-08|work=Variety|access-date=2018-06-29|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=http://adage.com/article/media/inside-verizon-s-plans-reinvent-tv-ad-model-go90/300626/|title=Inside Verizon's Plans to Reinvent the TV Ad Model With Go90|work=Ad Age|access-date=2018-06-29|language=en}} and to release 50-55 new, short episode series.{{cite news|last1=Guerrasio|first1=Jason|title=Verizon thinks it's created the go-to entertainment app for Millennials — and it might be right|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/verizon-go90-app-2015-11|access-date=4 July 2017|publisher=Business Insider|date=17 November 2015}}
Brian Angiolet, Verizon's senior vice president of consumer products, served as initial head of the service.{{cite news |last1=Guerrasio |first1=Jason |title=Verizon thinks it's created the go-to entertainment app for Millennials — and it might be right |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/verizon-go90-app-2015-11 |access-date=7 November 2018 |publisher=Business Insider |date=17 November 2017}}{{cite web |last1=Patel |first1=Sahil |title='Never had a chance': Inside Verizon's $1 billion bad bet on Go90 |url=https://digiday.com/media/go90-never-shot/ |website=digiday.com |access-date=7 November 2018 |date=2 July 2018}} Chip Canter, formerly of NBCUniversal, was brought on as general manager in March 2016, and hired Ivana Kirkbride, formerly of YouTube, as chief content officer. Under Canter, the service's content strategy shifted to one focusing on a wider variety of content in genres that had been performing well, such as gaming, music, sci-fi, sports (including live events), and dramas targeting young women.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2016/12/verizon-erin-mcpherson-head-of-content-strategy-programming-1201866656/|title=Verizon Taps Erin McPherson As Head Of Content Strategy & Programming|first=Denise|last=Petski|date=8 December 2016|access-date=21 September 2017}}{{Cite news|url=https://digiday.com/media/pitch-deck-verizons-plans-go90-2017-beyond/|title=Pitch deck: Verizon's plans for Go90 in 2017 and beyond|date=2017-01-27|work=Digiday|access-date=2018-07-09|language=en-US}} The service also planned to take a more granular approach to content acquisition, and lessen its aggressive focus on primarily targeting mobile platforms.
Under Angiolet's direction as Global Content Chief, Verizon made multiple investments and acquisitions in an effort to bolster go90. In April 2016, Verizon acquired a 24.5% stake in AwesomenessTV, a digital media studio and YouTube MCN targeting youth and teenagers, for around $159 million (valuing AwesomenessTV at $650 million). DreamWorks Animation and Hearst Corporation also owned stakes in the company.{{cite web|last1=Spangler|first1=Todd|date=6 April 2016|title=Verizon to Acquire 24.5% Stake in AwesomenessTV for $159 Million|url=https://variety.com/2016/digital/news/verizon-acquire-awesomenesstv-stake-1201747104/|access-date=16 November 2018|website=Variety.com}} Verizon invested $180 million over multiple years for AwesomenessTV to produce content for go90.{{cite web|last1=Patel|first1=Sahil|date=2 August 2018|title=Go90 or bust: How AwesomenessTV's fate was tied to Verizon|url=https://digiday.com/media/go90-or-bust-how-awesomenesstvs-fate-was-tied-to-verizon/|access-date=16 November 2018|website=Digiday}} A joint venture with Hearst, Verizon Hearst Media Partners, also acquired Complex Media in a deal reportedly valuing the company at $250 to $300 million.{{cite news|last1=Knutson|first1=Ryan|last2=Hagey|first2=Keach|last3=Alpert|first3=Lukas I.|date=2016-04-18|title=Verizon, Hearst Agree to Buy Complex Media; Deal is biggest move so far by joint venture the companies formed last month|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/verizon-hearst-near-a-major-investment-in-complex-media-1461013443|access-date=2018-02-24}}{{cite news|last=Schliefer|first=Theodore|date=2017-10-13|title=Complex is the latest media company to lay off staff amid a pivot to video|work=Recode|url=https://www.recode.net/2017/10/13/16472426/complex-media-video-product-layoffs|access-date=2018-02-24}}{{cite news|last=Flanagan|first=Andrew|date=2016-04-19|title=Marc Ecko, Complex Media Co-Founder, on His Company After Verizon and Digital Media in the Facebook Age: Q&A|magazine=Billboard|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/7340687/marc-ecko-complex-media-co-founder-talks-digital-strategy-Facebook-age-interview|access-date=2018-02-24}}
= Failed launch, Vessel acquisition =
Despite high expectations from Verizon, go90's first year of operations was unsuccessful; partners reported that their content was drawing a minuscule audience (with most content only receiving view counts within the thousands, although some, such as The Runner, were able to reach at least a million), and that even under Canter's leadership, the service lacked clear content and distribution strategies.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fiercecable.com/cable/verizon-s-go90-partners-start-to-lose-faith-call-platform-absolute-dud-but-there-are-signs|title=Verizon's Go90 partners start to lose faith, call platform 'absolute' dud, but signs of audience persist|website=FierceCable|language=en|access-date=2018-07-09}} Digiday reported via go90 employees that Verizon's executives "were so consumed early on with the idea of providing a large quantity of high-quality content, that they never showed any focus. There was no indication that Verizon actually knew the audience that they were trying to reach." Insiders also noted that not enough internal metadata was provided to categorize go90's videos, which hampered search and discoverability. Verizon hired contractors to manually compose this information in a process only intended to take three months, however, the process took nearly a year to complete. In May 2016, Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam admitted that go90 may have been "a little bit overhyped," backpedaling on previous pronouncements and the implications of major business and media investments.{{cite web |last1=Sibley |first1=Mari |title=Verizon Backpedals on Go90 |url=https://www.lightreading.com/video/ott/verizon-backpedals-on-go90/d/d-id/723610 |website=Lightreading.com |access-date=16 November 2018 |date=24 May 2016}}
On October 26, 2016, Verizon acquired Vessel, a streaming video startup led by former Hulu executives, Jason Kilar and Richard Tom.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/hulu-vets-launch-vessel-the-top-shelf-youtube/|title=Hulu vets launch Vessel, a premium mini YouTube with a price tag|last=Solsman|first=Joan E.|website=CNET|language=en|access-date=2019-04-21}} The purchase was a talent acquisition, resulting in Vessel being shut down at the end of the month, and its staff re-assigned to work on go90. Kilar departed from the company.{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2016/digital/news/verizon-acquires-vessel-shut-down-1201901681/|title=Verizon Acquires Vessel, Will Shut Down Jason Kilar's Video Service|last=Spangler|first=Todd|date=2016-10-26|website=Variety|language=en|access-date=2019-04-21}}{{Cite news|url=https://techcrunch.com/2016/10/26/verizon-acquires-vessel/|title=Verizon acquires subscription video service Vessel, will shut it down on Oct. 31|work=TechCrunch|access-date=2018-07-09|language=en-US}} On January 23, 2017, it was reported that Verizon had laid off 155 go90 employees from its San Jose office, which had been displaced by the acquired Vessel staff. Tom was appointed as chief technology officer of Verizon Digital Entertainment.{{cite web|title=Verizon Lays Off 155 Employees at Go90 Division (EXCLUSIVE)|url=https://variety.com/2017/digital/news/verizon-go90-layoffs-1201967433/|website=Variety|date=January 24, 2017 |access-date=1 June 2017}}{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/01/verizon-go90-layoffs-streaming-service-1201892967/|title=Verizon Axes 155 Go90 Staffers; Streaming Service Targets Millennials|last=Evans|first=Greg|date=2017-01-24|website=Deadline|access-date=2017-02-05|language=en-US}} During Verizon's fourth-quarter earnings report the next day, it was revealed that average daily usage of the go90 app was "consistent sequentially at about 30 minutes per viewer." In early February, a Verizon spokesperson told FierceVideo that the service had seen organic growth over the past two months.{{Cite web|url=http://www.fiercecable.com/online-video/go90-not-dead-had-best-organic-growth-december-verizon-says|title=Go90 'not dead,' had best organic growth in December, Verizon says|website=FierceVideo|language=en|access-date=2017-02-05}}
In late March 2017, go90 released a significant redesign of its mobile app, which was designed to help improve discovery and content recommendations and prioritize live content (such as sports) within the interface. The redesign also incorporated the "motion poster" concept for advertisement displays that originated from Vessel.{{cite web|title=YouTube Challenger Vessel Starts Showing Off Its Service, and a Slick New Ad Format|url=https://www.recode.net/2015/1/21/11557956/youtube-challenger-vessel-starts-showing-off-its-service-and-a-slick|website=Recode|publisher=Vox Media|access-date=1 June 2017}}{{cite web|title=Verizon announces Go90 updates in effort to save cash-burning video platform|url=http://www.fiercecable.com/online-video/verizon-announces-go90-updates-effort-to-save-cash-burning-video-platform|website=FierceCable|access-date=1 June 2017}} Chip Canter was replaced as general manager in April 2017 by Tom.{{cite web|title=Verizon's Go90 General Manager Chip Canter Out as Vessel Team Takes Over|url=https://variety.com/2017/digital/exec-shuffle-people-news/go90-chip-canter-verizon-vessel-1202399370/|website=Variety|date=April 26, 2017 |access-date=1 June 2017}} The following month, it was reported that go90's app had 2.1 million average monthly users.{{cite web|last1=McAlone|first1=Nathan|title=Verizon has spent at least $200 million on video for its go90 service, which has 2.1 million monthly app users|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/verizon-content-spend-for-go90-200-million-2017-3|website=Business Insider|access-date=4 July 2017|date=1 April 2017}}
Original content
go90 featured original series, such as Mr. Student Body President, My Dead Ex, The Runner (which was produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon), T@gged, Tween Fest, Street Fighter: Resurrection and Transformers: Prime Wars Trilogy. Its original series were acquired from studios such as CollegeHumor, Funny or Die, Nerdist Industries, Machinima, MTV, and Rooster Teeth Productions, among others.,{{Cite web|url=http://www.thevideoink.com/breaking-news/verizon-grabs-chip-canter-nbc-universal-gm-video-go90/|title=Verizon Hires GM of Digital Entertainment and Go90 - Grabs Chip Canter from NBCUniversal - VideoInk|last=Johnson|first=Jocelyn|date=April 11, 2016|website=videoink|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-22}} as well as producers like Ben Affleck, Matt Damon,{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2016/03/ben-affleck-matt-damon-reality-series-the-runner-verizon-go90-1201721318|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160318165507/http://deadline.com/2016/03/ben-affleck-matt-damon-reality-series-the-runner-verizon-go90-1201721318/|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 18, 2016|title=Ben Affleck & Matt Damon Reality Series 'The Runner' To Launch On Verizon Go90|last=Andreeva|first=Nellie|date=March 16, 2016|website=Deadline Hollywood|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-22}} LeBron James,{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2016/01/sports-themed-comedy-now-were-talking-lebron-james-go90-1201686874/|title=Sports Comedy From LeBron James' Uninterrupted Set For Go90|last=Petski|first=Denise|date=January 20, 2016|website=Deadline Hollywood|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-22}} and Rob Gronkowski (who hosted and executive produced a Shark Tank-like series entitled MVP for two seasons).{{Cite web|url=https://www.thewrap.com/mvp-rob-gronkowski-new-england-patriots/|title='MVP' Gets the Super Bowl Treatment as NFL star Rob Gronkowski Returns for Season 2|last=Emery|first=Debbie|date=September 7, 2017|website=TheWrap|language=en-US|access-date=February 20, 2019}}
In 2017, go90 began a three-year deal with the National Women's Soccer League to stream all games not aired on television.{{cite web|title=NWSL, go90 announce exclusive streaming partnership|url=http://www.blackandredunited.com/washington-spirit-womens-soccer/2017/4/13/15282800/nwsl-streaming-go90-2017|website=Black and Red United (SBNation)|date=April 13, 2017 |access-date=April 14, 2017}}
=Original series=
| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;" |
| Title
! Genre ! Premiere ! Seasons/Episodes ! Status |
|---|
| Betch
| Comedy | October 1, 2015 | 4 season, 42 episodes | Ended |
| Guidance
| Teen drama | October 18, 2015 | 3 season, 27 episodes | Ended |
| Lizzie
| January 22, 2016 | 1 season, 13 episodes | Ended |
| Street Fighter: Resurrection
| Action | March 15, 2016 | 1 season, 4 episodes | Ended |
| Relationship Status
| Drama | April 29, 2016 | 3 season, 35 episodes | Ended |
| Miss 2059
| June 21, 2016 | 2 season, 24 episodes | Ended |
| The Runner
| Reality | July 1, 2016 | 1 season, 30 episodes | Ended |
| T@gged
| Teen drama | July 19, 2016 | 2 season, 23 episodes | Moved to Hulu (season 3) |
| Transformers: Prime Wars Trilogy
| Science fiction | August 2, 2016 | 3 season, 28 episodes | Ended |
| Tween Fest
| Comedy | August 3, 2016 | 1 season, 8 episodes | Ended |
| Rush
| September 20, 2016 | 1 season, 5 episodes | Ended |
| Mr Student Body President
| Comedy | September 22, 2016 | 4 season, 40 episodes | Ended |
| Sleep Tight
| Horror | October 4, 2016 | 1 season, 9 episodes | Ended |
| Raising Heaven
| October 24, 2016 | 1 season, 6 episodes | Ended |
| Happy Wheels: The Series
| Adult animation | November 15, 2016 | 1 season, 9 episodes | Ended |
| Thankgiving
| Comedy | November 16, 2016 | 1 season, 8 episodes | Ended |
| Embeds
| Comedy | January 18, 2017 | 1 season, 6 episodes | Ended |
| Drive Share
| January 30, 2017 | 1 season, 30 episodes | Ended |
| QB1: Beyond the Lights
| February 13, 2017 | 2 season, 20 episodes |
| Confess
| Drama | April 7, 2017 | 1 season, 7 episodes | Ended |
| Snatchers
| June 22, 2017 | 1 season, 8 episodes | Ended |
| Threads
| July 25, 2017 | 1 season, 20 episodes | Ended |
| Explosion Jones
| September 5, 2017 | 1 season, 12 episodes | Ended |
| In the Vault
| September 13, 2017 | 1 season, 8 episodes | Moved to Crackle (season 2) |
| Two Sentence Horror Stories
| October 3, 2017 | 1 season, 5 episodes | Moved to The CW (season 2-4) |
| Zac & Mia
| Drama | November 7, 2017 | 1 season, 12 episodes | Moved to Hulu (Season 2) |
| Love Daily
| February 7, 2018 | 1 season, 7 episodes | Ended |
| Rebel Without a Crew: The Series
| Reality | March 19, 2018 | 1 season, 12 episodes | Ended |
| My Dead Ex
| Teen comedy | March 20, 2018 | 1 season, 8 episodes | Ended |
| Ture North
| April 19, 2018 | 1 season, 15 episodes | Ended |
=Continuations=
| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"
! Title ! Genre ! Previous network ! Premiere ! Seasons/Episodes ! Status |
| Defining Beauty
| Reality | The Platform | March 2, 2016 | 1 season, 5 episodes | Ended |
Reception
From the onset, Mari Silbey of Light Reading felt that much of go90's library consisted of content that could already be found elsewhere, and contested whether Verizon's planned original content for the service would be compelling enough. In addition, Silbey argued that go90's announced social networking features were not inherently innovative for a video service and that it was "hard to turn social media features into a driving force for popularity."{{cite web |last1=Silbey |first1=Mari |title=Verizon's Go90 Is Live – Will Anyone Watch? |url=https://www.lightreading.com/video/ott/verizons-go90-is-live---will-anyone-watch/a/d-id/718508 |website=Lightreading.com |access-date=16 November 2018 |date=1 October 2015}} Advertisers had been critical of the service, citing slower user adoption than expected. Warren Zenna of Havas Media felt that the app's user experience was inferior to that of YouTube.{{cite news|last1=Shield|first1=Mike|title=Advertisers Say Verizon's go90 Rollout Has Been Rocky|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/advertisers-say-verizons-go90-rollout-has-been-rocky-1470162662|access-date=4 July 2017|publisher=The Wall Street Journal|date=2 August 2016}}
Concerns were also displayed over Verizon's announced intent to not have go90 content count towards its subscribers' data caps, noting the company's stance against net neutrality.{{cite web |url= http://bgr.com/2015/12/24/verizon-net-neutrality-violation-in-the-works/ |title=Verizon Net Neutrality Violation In The Works With Go90 Premium |first=Zach |last=Epstein |work=Boy Genius Report |date=24 December 2015 |access-date=24 December 2015}}{{cite web |url= http://news.investors.com/122215-786473-verizon-plans-premium-mobile-video-skirting-net-neutrality-rules.htm |title=Verizon Revs Premium Go90, Data Cap Limits Excluded |first=Reinhardt |last=Krause |work=news.investors.com |date=22 December 2015 |access-date=24 December 2015}}
The NWSL's streams on go90 faced sustained criticism from sportswriters: The Equalizer felt that the app was buggy and did not have the same wide device support as YouTube, while it was also argued that the relative obscurity of go90, and the inconsistent quality of the game streams, could harm the league's growth.{{Cite web|url=http://equalizersoccer.com/2017/04/13/lee-nwsl-missed-the-mark-with-go90/|title=Lee: NWSL missed the mark with go90|publisher=The Equalizer|first=Allison|last=Lee|date=April 13, 2017|access-date=June 19, 2017}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.themaneland.com/2017/5/15/15639158/go90-deal-puts-nwsl-and-orlando-pride-in-dire-situation|title=Go90 Deal Puts NWSL and Orlando Pride in Dire Situation|work=The Maneland (SB Nation)|first=Sean|last=Rollins|date=May 15, 2017|access-date=June 19, 2017}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.thebluetestament.com/2017/5/1/15496402/the-nwsls-go90-deal-could-be-hurting-the-league-fc-kansas-city|title=The NWSL's go90 Deal Could Be Hurting the League|work=The Blue Testament (SB Nation)|first=Chad C|last=Smith|date=May 1, 2017|access-date=June 19, 2017}} After repeated technical issues, the league would live-stream several weeks of matches domestically on the NWSL website.{{Cite web|url=http://www.excellesports.com/news/nwsl-live-stream-website-app/|title=NWSL: For the next few weeks games will be live streamed on website and the league's app|publisher=Excelle Sports|first=Celia|last=Balf|date=May 19, 2017|access-date=June 19, 2017|archive-date=August 17, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170817210426/http://www.excellesports.com/news/nwsl-live-stream-website-app/|url-status=dead}}
Demise
By 2017, as the service faltered, insiders suggested that Verizon had been aggressively overpaying on content deals (describing the company as having made deals "guns blazing"), on the assumed basis that making large content investments would ensure growth.{{cite web |last1=McAlone |first1=Nathan |title=Verizon insiders describe the fight to save go90, its video service that has burned more than $200 million trying to catch the eye of millennials |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-verizon-go90-an-video-app-mix-between-youtube-and-netflix-2017-3 |website=Business Insider |access-date=16 November 2018 |date=30 March 2017}}
Verizon subsequently acquired Yahoo!, and merged it with AOL into the subsidiary Oath. Its lead executive Tim Armstrong stated in February 2018 that go90 had been placed within the Oath division, but would likely be wound-down in the future. Armstrong admitted that go90 was a "super ambitious project", but that it was difficult to build its brand, and that its content deals could be better leveraged by Oath's individual properties instead.{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/oath-ceo-tim-armstrong-go90-1202696674/|title=Oath CEO Tim Armstrong Casts Doubt on Future of Go90|last=Roettgers|first=Janko|date=2018-02-13|work=Variety|access-date=2018-04-24|language=en-US}} In March 2018, Oath-owned blog platform Tumblr began to syndicate some of go90's original content internationally—which Digiday considered as being a pilot project for this strategy.{{Cite news|url=https://digiday.com/media/verizon-turns-tumblr-original-show-hub-go90-struggled-become/|title=With Go90 flatlining, Verizon sees Tumblr as home to original digital video programs|date=2018-04-20|work=Digiday|access-date=2018-04-24|language=en-US}}
After the more aggressive promotion of its content across AOL and Yahoo properties, go90 had managed to increase its average monthly user count to 17 million. On June 29, 2018, Oath officially announced that go90 would be shuttered on July 31, 2018. The company stated that it would be evaluating the future of go90's original series and that it would "focus on building its digital-first brands at scale in sports, finance, news and entertainment for today's mobile consumers and tomorrow's 5G applications."{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/go90-shutting-down-verizon-1202860864/|title=Verizon Is Shutting Down Go90, Its Ill-Fated Mobile Video Service|last=Spangler|first=Todd|date=2018-06-28|work=Variety|access-date=2018-06-29|language=en-US}}
Estimates vary on the losses attributed to the failed service. Digiday cited two sources close to go90 who estimated total spending of $1.2 billion, including the Vessel and OnCue acquisitions. In Verizon's filing for the third quarter of 2018, it cited $913 million in charges related to "product realignment" attributable to shutting down go90.{{cite web |last1=Spangler |first1=Todd |title=Verizon Takes $900 Million Hit Against Q2 Earnings for Go90 Shutdown, Other Charges |url=https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/verizon-go90-shutdown-q2-writedown-charge-1202882348/ |website=Variety |access-date=16 November 2018 |date=24 July 2018}} In September 2018, Verizon laid off 50 employees in the Content Operations group managed by Brian Angiolet and eliminated the group. Ivana Kirkbride and Richard Tom were among the departing employees.{{cite web |last1=Johnson |first1=Jocelyn |title=Verizon Lays Off 50 in Video Business Consolidation |url=https://www.thewrap.com/verizon-layoffs-50-in-video-business-consolidation-exclusive/ |website=The Wrap |date=September 12, 2018 |access-date=7 November 2018}}
At least two of the initiatives launched by Verizon Hearst Media Partners–Seriously.TV and Rated Red–were shuttered in 2017 and 2018 respectively.{{cite web|last1=Guaglione|first1=Sara|date=21 August 2018|title=Hearst, Verizon Shutter Rated Red, Conservative Video Brand|url=https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/323917/hearst-verizon-shutter-rated-red-conservative-vi.html|access-date=18 November 2018|website=MediaPost}} In 2018, AwesomenessTV was sold to Viacom for $50 million—a fraction of Verizon's $650 million valuation. Digiday reported that the company had depended strongly on content investments by Verizon for around 40% of its revenue, and that there had been animosity within the venture due to its majority partner DreamWorks Animation being acquired by a subsidiary of Comcast—a direct competitor to Verizon. Comcast also did not believe that AwesomenessTV aligned well with its other digital media investments, such as BuzzFeed and Vox Media.{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2017/digital/news/verizon-folds-awesomenesstv-premium-venture-samie-kim-falvey-out-1201987158/|title=Verizon, AwesomenessTV Fold Premium-Content Venture, Samie Kim Falvey Out (EXCLUSIVE)|last=Spangler|first=Todd|date=2017-02-14|website=Variety|language=en|access-date=2019-04-21}} In June 2021 as part of its upcoming IPO, BuzzFeed announced that it would acquire Complex Media from Verizon Hearst Media Partners.{{Cite web|last=Flynn|first=Kerry|title=BuzzFeed announces plan to go public and acquire Complex Networks|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/24/media/buzzfeed-spac-complex/index.html|access-date=2021-12-07|website=CNN|date=June 24, 2021 }}