10 Recent TV Everywhere Deals
By | February 12, 2013
TV Everywhere deals are steadily—if slowly—becoming a reality in the cable industry. Here are a list of 10 recent deals and initiatives that include TV Everywhere services, like on demand and live TV viewing out-of-home, available to subs via authentication.
1. ESPN and Disney aren’t the only networks cutting TVE deals. A major multiplatform TVE deal between Fox Networks and Comcast was announced on Tuesday. It includes live and on demand programming for Xfinity customers from 20 Fox broadcast stations, FX, FX Movie Channel, Speed, Fuel TV, Fox Soccer, Nat Geo Channel, Nat Geo Wild, MundoFox, Fox Deportes and Fox Business. Next-day streaming of full episodes online via authentication is in the works as well. Xfinity TV subs can also access full episodes via social and interactive TV apps—dubbed “Fox Now”—across multiple platforms.
2. Last week ESPN began a brand campaign for its TVE product WatchESPN called “The Clutch Way to Watch,” starting with two animated spots featuring a couple of super sports fans hoping to watch games on the go. As its name suggests the spot “What is WatchESPN” serves as an explainer of sorts, and “Clutch in the Office” does the same, with an added pitch for stymieing office boredom. Further into the campaign users will have a chance to take part by sharing their own “clutch” moments while watching ESPN. [For a Q&A on TVE with ESPN’s Consumer Marketing go here.]
3. Later this year, DirecTV will launch a digital ad insertion service powered by video tech firm FreeWheel. It will allow DirecTV programming partners and advertisers to reach customers across multiple platforms.
4. At CES this year DISH and Cox unveiled second screen apps with navigation guides and social capabilities. Cox’s app has improved search, improved DVR capabilities and set-top coordination. DISH’s app, which works on iOS devices, uses Trendrr and Thuutz to provide social TV buzz to viewers.
5. NBCU signed a deal with the NRTC, the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative representing more than 1,500 rural utilities and affiliates in 48 states. The deal includes rights to carry the Olympics, on-demand content from NBCU and access to live channels across platforms.
6. AT&T U-Verse made its own deal with Disney—the net’s 7th MVPD agreement in about 2 years—that includes ESPN and Disney’s Watch products, ESPN 3D, Disney Junior and the ABC News/Univision jv, which on Tuesday was officially named “Fusion.” This means that when it launches, Watch ESPN will have a distribution of 55 million households. The deal doesn’t include Watch ABC and Watch ABC Family TVE services, however.
7. Charter was the 6th MVPD to sign a TVE deal with Disney. The agreement includes the Watch Products but also The Longhorn Network in Texas, Louisiana and Virginia before the football season commences. This deal does include ABC and ABC Family. It will take effect in the first half of this year.
8. Prior to that, there was Cox. As of December 21, Cox customers can use Watch Disney and ESPN products. The deal was announced a week prior, and included approximately 70 Disney networks and services. Expanded rights packages for Disney nets on Cox’s VOD service was also on the table.
9. NBCU announced a multi-year deal with Mediacom that includes TV Everywhere—the Olympic Games, on demand content and viewing capabilities in and out of the home on multiple platforms. NBCU also recently completed distribution agreements with Cablevision, Suddenlink and Verizon FiOS.
10. DirecTV added more than 30 new nets to its TVE platform, allowing anytime, anywhere access to shows from nets like A&E, Scripps Networks Interactive, Showtime and Viacom nets. Subs can watch the shows from their iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch or Android devices for free. DirecTV expanded its live in-home streaming lineup to over 60 channels.
