Verizon and A+E Networks have signed an expanded deal that encompasses continued carriage of A+E’s cable networks on Fios, as well as first look access to original digital content for the telco’s Oath media brands.
The deal gives Oath brands, which includes Yahoo and AOL, an exclusive distribution window to original short- and medium-form content produced by A+E’s digital studio 45th & Dean.
Verizon will continue to deliver A+E networks including A&E, History, Lifetime, and Viceland, and Fios customers will have access to programming from those networks on mobile devices.
Original content partnerships between distributors and programmers have been cropping up, as cord-cutting and skinny bundles continue to add strain to declining video subscriber numbers. Last fall Viacom and Charter reached a multi-year distribution agreement that included the joint creation of original content.
“We’re excited to offer fans of A+E Networks more access than ever across Verizon’s Fios footprint and now, across our family of digital media properties,” Brian Angiolet, SVP, global chief media and content officer at Verizon, said in a statement. “This partnership expansion is yet another example of how we’re fueling our new Oath media brands and becoming the first screen for premium content across genres.”
Angiolet also noted the addition of National Women’s Soccer League games on brands like Yahoo Sports as Verizon continues to bolster its sports-rights deals. In December, the mobile giant inked a massive five-year pact with the NFL for non-exclusive rights to stream all national and in-market games, including the Superbowl on its media platforms as well as mobile devices.
