thearchivist.funVessel is bought by Verizon and switched off within days
Tubefilter reported on 27 October 2016 that Verizon had confirmed its acquisition of Vessel, an online video subscription service that gave subscribers early access to content from top online creators for 2.99 dollars a month. Vessel announced in a blog post that its service would end at the end of October. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Verizon planned to use Vessel's technology and software and to hire most of its employees. Subscribers were to get free service for October 2016 and refunds from the start of the month. The report did not say what would happen to the videos. The pattern, a buyer wanting the team and technology rather than the product, is the same as in the Posterous record in this collection.
Context and provenance
The article leaves out two things that matter for a creator-economy history: how creators were paid, and where their videos went. This record does not guess at either.
If you cite Vessel's content, you need a copy that was saved independently, and you should say who saved it and when.
A researcher cannot say from this source where Vessel's videos went. If you need them, look for copies saved by the creators themselves, and label the provenance. The subscription price, refund terms and the end-of-October closing all come from one trade report, so a second source would strengthen them.
Transmission timeline
- 2016-10-26
Verizon confirms the acquisition (inferred as 'yesterday' in a 27 October article).
- 2016-10-31
Service scheduled to end at the end of October (exact day not given).
Why it matters
A paid early-access video service was folded into a larger company within days of the deal being confirmed.
What remains uncertain
The announcement date is inferred from the article's wording. The last day of service is not stated.
Sources and evidence
- Tubefilter: Vessel to close service at month's end following acquisition by Verizon
Verizon's acquisition, end-of-October shutdown, subscription price, refunds, plan to use the technology and hire staff.
Editorial review: 2026-10-22. New evidence may change this account.