Verizon Hires NBCU Exec for go90
An AwesomenessTV show on go90 called 'Guidance.' Photo by AwesomenessTV.Verizon has hired digital media executive Chip Canter from NBCUniversal as general manager of its go90 video app, said two people familiar with the situation. Mr. Canter, who started at Verizon in recent weeks, will serve under Verizon’s head of consumer product Brian Angiolet.
He comes to the company at a critical time for the video app and Verizon’s video streaming ambitions. Since go90’s launch last fall, there’s been questions about whether it was gaining traction among its target millennial audience. Verizon has been spending big on programming. Just this week Verizon announced it was buying a stake in video network AwesomenessTV, in a deal that will beef up programming at go90.
At NBC, Mr. Canter oversaw much of its digital content strategy including partnerships with Hulu and TV everywhere apps for pay TV customers.
UPDATE: Verizon confirmed Mr. Canter's hiring and said he would head up all current and future digital content and distribution businesses.
Tom Dotan joined the Information in 2014 covering the media, advertising and streaming video businesses. He is based in San Francisco and can be found on Twitter at @cityofthetown.