If Verizon markets YouTube TV at a “meaningful bundled discount,” it could “accelerate subscriber growth” for the streaming video service, which ended 2018 with about 1 million subscribers and raised monthly fees from $35 to $45 to $50 within the past 12 months, BTIG's Richard Greenfield wrote investors Friday. Verizon said Tuesday it's bringing YouTube TV to customers across platforms this year. Greenfield cited Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg saying the provider wants to focus on the network, platform and integration but not invest in a TV platform or content. He touted Verizon’s distribution, network and brand for being able to attract partnerships like Google’s with YouTube TV. “Time will tell how serious Verizon is about marketing YouTube TV,” said Greenfield, but if it does push hard, pay attention, because its marketing muscle could “make a huge dent” in a 5 million subscriber threshold required for Google to impact the overall broadcast-cable ecosystem. He imagined YouTube TV having enough future clout to win rights to something as high-profile as NFL Sunday Ticket, which AT&T/DirecTV owns through 2022. YouTube TV’s recent price hike “gave us pause,” said the analyst, who believes there’s more to Google’s strategy than being “just another distributor of the bloated legacy bundle.” He believes Google finds a way to scale the service to where it can have leverage. YouTube TV provides “one area of consumer data Google is missing today,” said Greenfield. It also gives Google a route to the access TV ad spending, which Greenfield pegged at $70 billion in the U.S.; the ability to mingle YouTube content with linear TV content; and an opportunity to "replace Nielsen’s antiquated measurement standard.”

If Verizon markets YouTube TV at a “meaningful bundled discount,” it could “accelerate subscriber growth” for the streaming video service, which ended 2018 with about 1 million subscribers and raised monthly fees from $35 to $45 to $50 within the past 12 months, BTIG's Richard Greenfield wrote investors Friday. Verizon said Tuesday it's bringing YouTube TV to customers across platforms this year. Greenfield cited Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg saying the provider wants to focus on the network, platform and integration but not invest in a TV platform or content. He touted Verizon’s distribution, network and brand for being able to attract partnerships like Google’s with YouTube TV. “Time will tell how serious Verizon is about marketing YouTube TV,” said Greenfield, but if it does push hard, pay attention, because its marketing muscle could “make a huge dent” in a 5 million subscriber threshold required for Google to impact the overall broadcast-cable ecosystem. He imagined YouTube TV having enough future clout to win rights to something as high-profile as NFL Sunday Ticket, which AT&T/DirecTV owns through 2022. YouTube TV’s recent price hike “gave us pause,” said the analyst, who believes there’s more to Google’s strategy than being “just another distributor of the bloated legacy bundle.” He believes Google finds a way to scale the service to where it can have leverage. YouTube TV provides “one area of consumer data Google is missing today,” said Greenfield. It also gives Google a route to the access TV ad spending, which Greenfield pegged at $70 billion in the U.S.; the ability to mingle YouTube content with linear TV content; and an opportunity to "replace Nielsen’s antiquated measurement standard.”

If Verizon markets YouTube TV at a “meaningful bundled discount,” it could “accelerate subscriber growth” for the streaming video service, which ended 2018 with about 1 million subscribers and raised monthly fees from $35 to $45 to $50 within the past 12 months, BTIG's Richard Greenfield wrote investors Friday. Verizon said Tuesday it's bringing YouTube TV to customers across platforms this year. Greenfield cited Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg saying the provider wants to focus on the network, platform and integration but not invest in a TV platform or content. He touted Verizon’s distribution, network and brand for being able to attract partnerships like Google’s with YouTube TV. “Time will tell how serious Verizon is about marketing YouTube TV,” said Greenfield, but if it does push hard, pay attention, because its marketing muscle could “make a huge dent” in a 5 million subscriber threshold required for Google to impact the overall broadcast-cable ecosystem. He imagined YouTube TV having enough future clout to win rights to something as high-profile as NFL Sunday Ticket, which AT&T/DirecTV owns through 2022. YouTube TV’s recent price hike “gave us pause,” said the analyst, who believes there’s more to Google’s strategy than being “just another distributor of the bloated legacy bundle.” He believes Google finds a way to scale the service to where it can have leverage. YouTube TV provides “one area of consumer data Google is missing today,” said Greenfield. It also gives Google a route to the access TV ad spending, which Greenfield pegged at $70 billion in the U.S.; the ability to mingle YouTube content with linear TV content; and an opportunity to "replace Nielsen’s antiquated measurement standard.”

Josh.ai continued its integration expansion with Dish Network, announcing Thursday its voice control platform works with the Hopper family of set-top boxes. Users with Josh and Dish can use natural language cues to navigate guide, menu, play, pause, fast-forward, rewind and “select television companies,” said the companies. Examples of voice commands for the Hopper interface are: “watch the Weather Channel,” “Channel 200,” “Next Channel,” “Guide,” “DVR” and “Watch ESPN, turn down the volume on the TV, open shades to 30 percent and turn on the lights.” Josh announced other integrations recently with LG, Savant and Yamaha.

Josh.ai continued its integration expansion with Dish Network, announcing Thursday its voice control platform works with the Hopper family of set-top boxes. Users with Josh and Dish can use natural language cues to navigate guide, menu, play, pause, fast-forward, rewind and “select television companies,” said the companies. Examples of voice commands for the Hopper interface are: “watch the Weather Channel,” “Channel 200,” “Next Channel,” “Guide,” “DVR” and “Watch ESPN, turn down the volume on the TV, open shades to 30 percent and turn on the lights.” Josh announced other integrations recently with LG, Savant and Yamaha.

Josh.ai continued its integration expansion with Dish Network, announcing Thursday its voice control platform works with the Hopper family of set-top boxes. Users with Josh and Dish can use natural language cues to navigate guide, menu, play, pause, fast-forward, rewind and “select television companies,” said the companies. Examples of voice commands for the Hopper interface are: “watch the Weather Channel,” “Channel 200,” “Next Channel,” “Guide,” “DVR” and “Watch ESPN, turn down the volume on the TV, open shades to 30 percent and turn on the lights.” Josh announced other integrations recently with LG, Savant and Yamaha.

Questions continue about a $20.4 billion Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) proposed in a Friday speech at the White House by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai (see 1904120065) and whether it will have much effect on closing the digital divide. Pai said the program would connect up to 4 million rural homes and small businesses to high-speed internet. Critics said the FCC appears to be rebranding the Connect America Fund, without any new proposed spending. Some hope the FCC won’t dig into funding for Lifeline and other USF programs.

Questions continue about a $20.4 billion Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF) proposed in a Friday speech at the White House by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai (see 1904120065) and whether it will have much effect on closing the digital divide. Pai said the program would connect up to 4 million rural homes and small businesses to high-speed internet. Critics said the FCC appears to be rebranding the Connect America Fund, without any new proposed spending. Some hope the FCC won’t dig into funding for Lifeline and other USF programs.

Commissioners Mike O'Rielly, Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks all pushed back against Commerce Department suggestions regarding the orbital debris proceeding (see 1904080033). After Friday's agency meeting, O'Rielly said he was "troubled" by the Commerce notion the FCC should pause its proceeding given that Commerce hasn't made any proposal to move forward on its own. Rosenworcel said she was concerned about the idea that the FCC, with authority over commercial spectrum and commercial actors, cede that authority to Commerce, which oversees federal actors. "The space age is big enough to accommodate both" and the FCC "should be sitting in the front" instead of "letting others take the lead," she said. Echoed Starks, "We have a congressional and statutory mandate to be in this lane" and the agency needs to address the issues in the fashion Congress tasked it with doing. Commissioner Brendan Carr said he hadn't read the Commerce filing. Chairman Ajit Pai's office didn't comment.

The FCC approved a process for sharing in the upper 37 GHz band, despite complaints from Commissioners Mike O’Rielly, Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks (see 1904100071). The two Democrats partially dissented. Chairman Ajit Pai, meanwhile, announced that the 37, 39 and 47 GHz auction will start Dec. 10 -- the FCC's third high-band auction. Commissioners approved a public notice on rules for the auction amid complaints by Rosenworcel and O’Rielly. Agency members also approved telecom and cable items.