Disney, Cablevision Do Distribution Deal

Cablevision and The Walt Disney Co. today announced a comprehensive distribution agreement to deliver Disney’s lineup of sports, news and entertainment content to Cablevision TV customers across television, Internet, tablets and handheld devices.

As part of the new multi-year agreement, Cablevision will launch several new services, including the full suite of authenticated WATCH products, ESPN3 and ESPN 3D, as well as the upcoming ABC News/Univision joint venture, a 24/7 news, information and lifestyle multi-platform network for English-dominant and bilingual Hispanics.

In total, approximately 70 services are covered by the broad scope of this agreement including: ABC, ABC Family, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN Deportes, ESPNEWS, ESPN Classic, ESPN Goal Line, ESPN Buzzer Beater, ESPN 3D, ESPN GamePlan, ESPN FullCourt, ESPN3 and Longhorn Network; retransmission consent for WABC New York and WPVI Philadelphia, as well as more than 10 high-definition networks.

Cablevision customers will receive broad access to existing authenticated products like WATCH Disney Channel, WATCH Disney XD and WATCH Disney Junior, the to-be-launched WATCH ABC and WATCH ABC Family services and WatchESPN (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNU, ESPN Goal Line and ESPN Buzzer Beater). These products will give Cablevision customers more opportunities to access live and video on demand content, both in-home and out-of-home, on their computers, smartphones, tablets and gaming consoles.

Cablevision will also provide its TV customers with broad access to expanded on-demand content through Disney’s TV+ initiative.

“This significant agreement ensures that our customers will continue to have access to dozens of ABC, Disney and ESPN networks for years to come and, for the first time, they will be able to enjoy Disney and ESPN programming outside the home,” said James L. Dolan, Cablevision’s president-CEO. “It includes the launch of new services, like ESPN3, and expanded availability of high-quality On Demand content, which is a key element of our video strategy and value proposition to customers.”

“With our robust and ever-growing multi-platform content offerings, we’re pleased to be able to expand our relationship with Cablevision,” said Anne Sweeney, co-chair of Disney Media Networks and president of Disney/ABC Television Group. “We look forward to working together to deliver our viewers and their customers better access to our broad portfolio of high-quality programming.”

The extensive and expanded rights package for Cablevision TV customers includes rights across multiple platforms for:

• ABC On Demand, ABC’s fast-forward-disabled On Demand service. Full current seasons will be made available on a number of shows. Additionally, Cablevision customers will have access to a variety of ABC News programming as well as some local ABC owned-station content.

• ABC Family On Demand, which features a variety of top-rated full episodes, refreshed monthly. Full current seasons will be made available on a number of shows. ABC Family original movies will also be available.

• Disney-branded on-demand offerings, including Disney Channel On Demand, Disney Junior On Demand, and Disney XD On Demand. Refreshed each month, the Disney Channel On Demand offering will include episodes from series for preschoolers, as well as variety of episodes from series for older kids. Select episodes featured on Disney Channel On Demand will be available in new offerings, such as playlists and monthly programming blocks, in addition to a number of episodes available in multiple languages. A variety of Disney Channel Original Movies will also be available.

• Expanded on demand content from ESPN, including content from ESPN Deportes and ESPN’s award-winning original content from ESPN Films.

• The subscription On Demand service Disney Family Movies, which features a selection of classic and contemporary feature films and animated shorts from The Walt Disney Studios.