Verizon brings in YouTube star exec for Go90

Verizon Communications hired YouTube’s Ivana Kirkbride to be chief content officer for its Go90 video service. Go90, named for the 90 degrees we turn our phones to watch video, is Verizon’s primary video business and is available to customers of all wireless carriers.
Kirkbride comes to Verizon from a video company Vessel. Prior to Vessel, Kirkbride held a series of jobs at YouTube, including head of Unscripted, YT Originals, head of the YT Content Accelerator, head of investment strategy, head of entertainment and content strategy and head of YouTube Originals. As head of YouTube Originals, Kirkbride managed channels including AwesomenessTV, WIGS, Geek & Sundry, The Nerdist, BlackBoxTV and SourceFed.
AwesomenessTV is a Verizon Wireless favorite; the carrier is buying a 24.5% stake in the video service, which is majority-owned by DreamWorks Animation. The new video service is set to operate as an independent brand, according to Verizon, and will feature “premium transactional content for a variety of audiences on par with the highest-end content seen on television today.” In the U.S., the service will only be available through the Go90 platform.
Partners like AwesomenessTV and Buzzfeed will contribute some, but not all, of Verizon’s Go90 programming. The company is also licensing shows and producing some original content. According to Variety, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are producing an original series for Go90.
Verizon CFO Fran Shammo has stated Go90 has “nothing to do with linear TV,” but is instead a mobile-first video service meant to increase the carrier’s revenue opportunities in a business that is related to, but not necessarily dependent upon, Verizon Wireless’ network. The ad-supported service gives Verizon an opportunity to indirectly do business with customers who are not subscribers to its wireless network. Go90 is currently available only in the United States.
Image source: streamdaily.tv
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