Vessel (website)

Vessel was a commercial video service launched in early 2015 by former Hulu executives Jason Kilar and Richard Tom.[1][2] Vessel was acquired by Verizon on October 26, 2016 and was closed on October 31, 2016.

Vessel Group, Inc
IndustryOnline video
FateAcquired by Verizon
FoundedJanuary 21, 2015 (2015-01-21)
DefunctOctober 31, 2016 (2016-10-31)
Key people
Jason Kilar
Richard Tom

History

The service resembled that of YouTube, whereby a viewer could watch videos for free. However, viewers could add "Early Access" at a $3 monthly or $20 annual fee to their account, which allowed them to view videos a minimum of 72 hours before the video is released to the general public.[2] Vessel then created mobile applications for iOS and Android devices which optimized the videos for mobile viewing. The idea behind the site was that creators would be able to gain more revenue from their videos than on YouTube due to the subscription fee as well as advertisements.[3]

Since the site was created, YouTube stars such as LinusTechTips, Craig Benzine, Connor Franta, Shane Dawson, Doug Walker, Caspar Lee, Tanya Burr, Good Mythical Morning, Epic Meal Time, Super Best Friends Play, Marcus Butler, Kent Heckel, LaToya Forever, Delaila Johnson, Tre Melvin and Jack Vale signed up to have their content streamed on Vessel.[2]

On October 26, 2016, Verizon Communications announced that it had acquired Vessel, and that it would be shut down on October 31. Vessel's team was hired to revamp Verizon's fledgling video streaming service go90 (resulting in 155 members of the service's existing staff being laid off), with Richard Tom retained and appointed as chief technology officer of Verizon Digital Entertainment. Kilar departed after the sale.[4][5][6][7]

See also

References
  1. Stone, Brad. "Vessel: A YouTube Rival That Wants to Be the Streaming HBO". Bloomberg Business. Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
  2. Spangler, Todd (January 21, 2015). "Vessel Signs More YouTube Stars to Subscription Service, Launches Limited Beta Test". Variety. PMC. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
  3. "Here's Everything You Need To Know About Vessel, Jason Kilar's New Online Video Platform". Tubefilter. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  4. Spangler, Todd (October 26, 2016). "Verizon Acquires Vessel, Will Shut Down Jason Kilar's Video Service". Variety. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
  5. "Verizon acquires subscription video service Vessel, will shut it down on Oct. 31". TechCrunch. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  6. "Verizon Lays Off 155 Employees at Go90 Division (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  7. Evans, Greg (January 24, 2017). "Verizon Axes 155 Go90 Staffers; Streaming Service Targets Millennials". Deadline. Retrieved February 5, 2017.


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