Could AT&T’s new streaming service be called Verge TV?
The telco giant, which is expected to launch the new service late this year, last month filed for six trademark applications with Verge or Verge TV in the name. The names are: Verge, Verge TV, VergeTV, Verge From AT&T, VergeTV From AT&T, and Verge TV From AT&T.
The trademark applications, filed on December 21 with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, say the names are intended to be used for “the mobile application for streaming of content, computer hardware and software for streaming audio and video content to a variety of network devices, namely, personal computers, mobile phones, tablet computers, set-top boxes, televisions, computer software for receiving digital video over a communication network.”
The filing also says Verge or Verge TV would be for “entertainment services in the nature of providing entertainment programs and content.”
AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson disclosed late last year that the company was planning to launch a direct-to-consumer streaming service in late 2019 that would feature three different plans with a mixture of content from AT&T-owned properties such as HBO, TNT, and Warner Bros. However, Stephenson did not disclose what the service would be named, or how much it would cost.
While AT&T says the service is not intended to be a Netflix rival, it’s likely to be compared to the video giant as well as a yet-to-be-launched new streaming venture from Disney. Like the AT&T service, Disney +, as the offering will be called, is expected to debut in late 2019.
— Phillip Swann
