Go90 poaches Vessel buyer for content post

US mobile platform Go90 has poached Ivana Kirkbride from rival Vessel to become its chief content officer.

The hire is a mark on intent from Go90, which telco Verizon launched last year.

Kirkbride was VP, content acquisitions at Vessel, which former Hulu CEO Jason Kilar founded, also last year.

Before joining Vessel in September, she had spent five years at YouTube, where she was part of the team that oversaw the launch of its first original channels and then ran unscripted programme commissioning.

Kirkbride will report to Chip Carter, general manager of digital entertainment and Go90.

Stats show worldwide mobile video revenues will reach US$25 billion by 2021, driven by advertisers trying to reach smartphone and tablet users, while two billion people are predicted use mobiles to access video content by the end of 2022.

Go90 provides programming for millennial audiences through deals with the likes of Defy Media, Fullscreen and AwesomenessTV, the latter agreement bolstered by Verizon buying a 24.5% stake in the DreamWorks Animation-owned business earlier this year.

It also offers channels through Verizon Hearst Media Partners, a joint venture Verizon and magazine and digital publisher Hearst Corp. launched earlier this year, and original series such as The Runner, which Matt Damon and Ben Affleck executive produced.

Record first reported the news.