https://www.theverge.com/2018/5/24/17388860/verizon-cancels-streaming-tv-service-lowell-mcadam-interview

Verizon has apparently given up on launching its own streaming TV service that would’ve competed against the likes of Dish’s Sling TV, DirecTV Now, YouTube TV, and PlayStation Vue. The project has been routinely delayed over the last couple years, and spring 2018 was the last target launch time frame floated by Bloomberg. The new change in course was first reported by Multichannel.

Most recently, the company had been planning to offer themed channels (news, sports, entertainment, etc.) — each as a separate, standalone app, according to a January report from TechCrunch. That strategy sounds pretty disjointed compared to the existing field of OTT services, which have at least some resemblance in programming options to traditional cable. But it makes sense when you understand that Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam isn’t a fan of the traditional TV viewing experience. “I’ve said this a couple of times, I think the linear model is dead. It’s just going to take a long time to die,” he said in an interview with Yahoo earlier this week. His Fios team probably hopes that the latter point is true.