Verizon could be joining its pay TV and broadband rivals in building its own proprietary streaming box.
According to an FCC filing unearthed by Zatz Not Funny, Verizon is testing a device called Stream TV, which includes a remote control and an HDMI port.
It’s unclear what Verizon’s potential plans for Stream TV could be. But the device doesn’t seem to be far off from the Android TV-based device AT&T is developing for its upcoming AT&T TV streaming service or the box developed by Comcast for its Xfinity Flex service.
Verizon for years worked toward building its own streaming TV service similar to DirecTV Now and Sling TV, but the company eventually ditched those plans. Now Verizon has a deal in place with virtual MVPD YouTube TV to sell the service directly to its 5G in-home internet customers. Earlier this year Verizon expanded that deal and announced plans to sell YouTube TV directly to its wireless and broadband subscribers. The company said it would offer “unique, high-value YouTube TV promotions to customers across platforms.”
