Go90 was Verizon’s ambitious but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to break into the streaming industry. Launched in 2015, the mobile-first, ad-supported platform aimed to attract younger audiences with short-form original content, live sports, and licensed programming. Despite significant investment and multiple acquisitions, Go90 struggled with poor execution, lack of user engagement, and an unclear content strategy. By 2018, Verizon had shut down the service, marking a $1.2 billion misstep in its digital media strategy.
The Vision: A Mobile-First Streaming Platform
Go90 was built on the remnants of Intel’s OnCue project, which Verizon acquired for $200 million in 2014. The service was designed as a free, ad-supported mobile streaming app, allowing users to join “crews” around shows, share clips, and interact socially—positioning it as a hybrid between YouTube and traditional TV. The name “Go90” symbolized rotating a smartphone 90 degrees for a full-screen viewing experience.
Verizon planned to differentiate itself with exclusive content partnerships, featuring digital-first studios like CollegeHumor, Rooster Teeth, and AwesomenessTV. It also secured streaming rights for live sports, including a three-year deal with the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and content partnerships with the NFL and NBA.
Strategic Investments and Acquisitions
Verizon aggressively invested in content and digital media companies to support Go90:
- AwesomenessTV Stake (2016): Verizon purchased 24.5% of the youth-focused digital studio for $159 million, funding original content for Go90.
- Complex Media Acquisition: Verizon and Hearst acquired Complex Media, reportedly for $250-$300 million, to strengthen its reach among millennial audiences.
- Vessel Acquisition (2016): Verizon acquired short-form streaming startup Vessel, shutting it down and integrating its staff into Go90.
These investments reflected Verizon’s belief that premium content would attract advertisers and compete with YouTube, Snapchat, and Netflix. However, the platform never gained traction.
Operational Challenges and Market Struggles
Go90 faced multiple structural and strategic issues from the start:
- Poor user experience and discoverability: Content was difficult to find, and Verizon’s efforts to manually categorize videos delayed improvements for nearly a year.
- Lack of a clear audience and content strategy: Despite a massive budget, Go90 lacked direction—initially aiming for millennials, then pivoting to a broader mix of gaming, sports, music, and dramas for young women.
- Aggressive spending without return: Verizon spent heavily on content, but most shows had low viewership, with only a few breaking the one-million-viewer mark.
- Failure to compete in a crowded market: Go90’s ad-supported model struggled against YouTube’s dominance and the rising popularity of subscription-based OTT services.
By 2016, Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam admitted Go90 was “overhyped.” The company had spent over $1.2 billion on the project with little to show for it.
Service Discontinuation and Business Reassessment
On July 31, 2018, Verizon officially shut down Go90. The decision followed its 2017 acquisition of Yahoo, which merged with AOL to form the Oath media division. Verizon chose to fold Go90’s operations into Oath, focusing instead on advertising-supported platforms and digital-first media.
Rather than keeping its commissioned content, Verizon returned rights to production partners like Vice Media, Complex Networks, and AwesomenessTV. Sports-related content deals were redirected to Yahoo Sports and NFL partnerships.
Financially, the shutdown was a massive write-off:
- Verizon’s Q3 2018 filings reported a $913 million loss due to Go90’s closure.
- AwesomenessTV, once valued at $650 million, was sold to Viacom for just $50 million in 2018.
- Verizon laid off dozens of employees, including key executives involved with Go90.
Legacy and Lessons from Go90
Go90’s failure remains a case study in overinvestment without clear execution. The platform suffered from poor branding, content overload, and lack of user adoption, proving that deep pockets alone do not guarantee success in streaming.
Key takeaways from Go90’s downfall:
- A bad name can hurt a brand: The name “Go90” lacked clarity and failed to resonate with audiences.
- Discoverability and user experience are crucial: Poor navigation and search functions contributed to low engagement.
- A mobile-only approach limits reach: Unlike YouTube and Netflix, Go90 restricted itself to mobile instead of embracing cross-platform availability.
- Spending big doesn’t guarantee growth: Verizon assumed content investments would drive success, but Go90 lacked the organic audience-building strategy of competitors like YouTube and TikTok.
- AVOD and FAST models now dominate: Go90’s struggles highlight the rise of FAST services like Pluto TV, Tubi, and The Roku Channel, which found success where Go90 failed.
Verizon’s media strategy ultimately shifted away from original content, focusing instead on advertising, live sports, and 5G applications. Though Go90 disappeared, its expensive lesson continues to inform digital media strategies today.
Go90 remains one of the most expensive missteps in streaming history—a platform that tried to do everything but never found its audience.
