Verizon is shutting down its +play subscription marketplace, a platform that allowed its mobile and home internet customers to purchase and manage third-party streaming subscriptions in one centralized location. The move affects a range of major services including Max, Paramount+, and Peacock, among others.

According to an update on Verizon’s support site, users are being notified that their +play subscriptions will be automatically terminated ahead of their next renewal date. The company has also stopped selling new subscriptions to many of its +play partners, with all new enrollments ending by July 9. After that date, customers will need to manage subscriptions directly with each streaming service.

+play was launched in late 2022 with the goal of simplifying streaming subscription management for Verizon customers, while offering bundled promotions and discounts. At its peak, the platform supported more than 30 services and allowed for centralized billing through Verizon.

While Verizon has not issued a formal press release, the change was quietly communicated via customer support pages and confirmed by third-party reporting from Streamable,  TheDesk, and Cord Cutters News. The company appears to be shifting its focus to MyPlan and MyHome—its newer program bundles that integrate streaming perks like Netflix, Max, and Disney+ into wireless and broadband offerings.

INSIDER TAKE

This move is more than just a marketplace shutdown—it reflects a broader shift in how telcos and media distributors are positioning streaming bundles. Rather than acting as a storefront for individual streaming subscriptions, Verizon is consolidating its efforts into value-added service tiers through MyPlan and MyHome, where streaming is just one piece of a broader retention and upsell strategy.

For subscription executives, the implications are twofold:

• Channel access is consolidating. Aggregators like +play were once seen as a discovery and acquisition tool for streaming services. Their decline shifts power back to direct-to-consumer channels or deeply integrated bundles.
• Partnership models are evolving. Telcos are moving away from revenue-share marketplaces and toward curated, loyalty-driving bundles where subscription access is embedded into broader service plans.

While this may reduce churn visibility for participating services, it could also limit pricing control and direct user data access. Subscription leaders should watch this closely as a potential bellwether for partnership realignments in other sectors.