Mobile Minutes: Google buys Webpass; BET?s online subscription service; Video creators and Facebook; Walmart Pay expands
Google Fiber, the high-speed internet service owned by Alphabet, is to acquire Webpass, the companies said late on Wednesday, in a bid by the technology giant to bolster its U.S. expansion and compete with big broadband incumbents.
Viacom is launching BET Play, a $4-per-month subscription service with programming from the African-American entertainment cable channel, in about 100 countries ? but not in the U.S. or a few other markets, where the media conglom doesn?t want to cannibalize its pay-TV biz or is precluded from offering a direct-to-consumer service.
The online video wars are on, and their major players except one will be meeting in full force Thursday in Anaheim.
Attention, Walmart customers: You can now use Walmart Pay in a host of additional states.