With this addition, the live, 24/7 linear broadcast network streaming service is now available in all eight ABC Owned Station markets with KFSN roll-out. Hearst Television also plans to launch the Watch ABC service in its 13 ABC station markets, which include Boston, Pittsburgh, Kansas City and Milwaukee, in the coming months.
DMA 55 (FRESNO, CA)
Watch ABC Streaming Debuts In Fresno
Disney/ABC Television Group announced today that the recently launched Watch ABC authenticated service, which allows viewers access to 24/7 live viewing, is now available to viewers with participating TV subscription services in Fresno, Calif. The service launched earlier this summer in New York City (WABC), Philadelphia (WPVI), Los Angeles (KABC), Chicago (WLS), San Francisco (KGO), Raleigh-Durham, N.C. (WTVD), and Houston (KTRK).
Currently Disney/ABC Television Group has agreements in place for its authenticated Watch products with a variety of multichannel video program distributors (MVPDs), including Comcast, AT&T U-verse, Verizon FiOS, Cablevision, Cox Communications, Charter Communications and Midcontinent Communications.
The Watch ABC app is available on iOS and Kindle Fire devices, as well as select Android tablets, including Samsung Galaxy devices. Viewers can also access Watch ABC online at WatchABC.com.
The new Watch ABC service provides authenticated viewers with live access to their favorite ABC shows and local market programming, as well as a variety of on-demand content. In addition to allowing live linear streaming of viewers’ local ABC stations, Watch ABC includes on-demand access to full episodes of ABC’s daytime and primetime programming nationwide, online and via tablets and phones.
Hearst Television also plans to launch the Watch ABC service in its 13 ABC station markets, which include Boston, Pittsburgh, Kansas City and Milwaukee, in the coming months. Agreements with other station groups are expected to be announced in the near future.
The launch of Watch ABC follows the successful rollout of three authenticated Watch Disney services — Watch Disney Channel, Watch Disney Xd And Watch Disney Junior — in June 2012.
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Comments (3)
Matthew Castonguay says:
September 9, 2013 at 3:47 pm
Why is it a news story every time ABC deploys a new O&O market? I’d be more interested if you guys would ask a few questions like “how’s it going?” “Are people watching?” “How many downloads are they getting?” etc
Kimberly Gari-Luff says:
September 9, 2013 at 5:56 pm
As the Internet market grows, it imperils the broadcast model. I wouldn’t call it a zero-sum game, exactly, but when I see customer movement in a particular direction, I posit that it can’t all be new; some of it is coming from somewhere else.
Wagner Pereira says:
September 9, 2013 at 8:16 pm
As there are only 24 hours in a day, more time with one activity does have to come from somewhere else, however there are a number of studies on Internet usage and when someone uses the Internet more, often the activity that takes a hit is not what you expect. For example, a more mature (than video) streaming on the net, audio, is not taking the hit on radio listening one would expect.