The deal includes many interesting bonuses, which we've highlighted in the press release issued just now.
September 2, 2010 -- BURBANK and NEW YORK— Disney/ABC Television Group, ESPN and Time Warner Cable today entered into a long-term, wide-ranging agreement that will provide Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks cable customers the programming of ABC Family, Disney Channel, Disney XD, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, ESPN Classic, ESPN Deportes and SOAPnet, as well as WABC in New York, KABC in Los Angeles, WTVD in Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville, WTVG in Toledo, and associated HD cable networks. Subscribers will also have unprecedented digital access to online content and expanded Video On Demand services.
This extensive and expanded rights package, Disney Media Network’s most expansive content agreement to date, provides for:
- The recently announced Disney Junior, a new 24-hour basic channel for preschool-age children, parents and caregivers. Available to Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks cable customers upon its debut in 2012, the new channel will feature animated and live action programming which blends Disney’s unparalleled storytelling and beloved characters with learning, including early math, language skills, healthy eating and lifestyles and social skills.
- The addition of ESPN3.com, ESPN's live sports broadband network, which will be available to all Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks subscribers who get ESPN. ESPN3.com gives Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks fans a 24/7 online destination that delivers more than 3,500 live, global sports events annually as part of TV Everywhere. This addition also gives Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks the right to feature cleared content from ESPN3.com on its sports tier.
- Access to a new authenticated service, which will give Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks subscribers the opportunity to watch the linear networks ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU through their broadband services, as well as mobile Internet devices like an iPad. Details on the launch will be forthcoming.
- A new service, developed with Time Warner Cable, called ESPN Goal Line, a super-highlight channel that will be available only to Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks sports tier subscribers as early as September 4. ESPN Goal Line will take fans around the best matchups each Saturday during the NCAA football season. The once-a-week network will include live look-ins to game action, focusing on scoring drives and up-to-the minute commentary from analysts and experts. A similar service called ESPN Buzzer Beater will be available for the college basketball season.
- Expanded VOD services in many markets will include:
- ABC On Demand, ABC’s fast forward-disabled VOD service which currently features a selection of primetime programming, including episodes of such popular ABC shows as “Castle,” “Grey's Anatomy,” “Private Practice” and “Desperate Housewives.” Anticipated newcomers include “No Ordinary Family” and “My Generation.” Additionally, episodes of ABC News’ “Good Morning America” are available each week.
- Disney-branded On Demand offerings for kids, including Disney Channel On Demand and Disney XD On Demand. Refreshed each month, the Disney Channel VOD offering will include episodes from such series as “Handy Manny,” “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” and “Special Agent Oso” for preschoolers, as well as variety of episodes from “Wizards of Waverly Place,” “Hannah Montana,” “The Suite Life on Deck,” “Good Luck Charlie” and other popular series for older kids. Select episodes featured on Disney Channel On Demand will be available in multiple languages. Disney XD On Demand features a variety of episodes from such series as the Emmy Award-winning animated hit “Phineas and Ferb” and “Kick Buttowski – Suburban Daredevil,” as well as the upcoming sitcom “Pair of Kings.”
- Locally relevant sports content from ESPN in several Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks markets, including Los Angeles, New York, North and South Carolina, Tampa, Orlando, Texas and Ohio.
- The subscription VOD service “Disney Family Movies” which features a selection of classic and contemporary films and animated shorts from The Walt Disney Studios.
- A new transactional VOD service for select content from the Disney/ABC Television Group.
- Inclusion of a variety of content from across the Disney Media Networks’ portfolio on Time Warner Cable’s and Bright House Networks Start Over and Look Back features.
- ABC On Demand, ABC’s fast forward-disabled VOD service which currently features a selection of primetime programming, including episodes of such popular ABC shows as “Castle,” “Grey's Anatomy,” “Private Practice” and “Desperate Housewives.” Anticipated newcomers include “No Ordinary Family” and “My Generation.” Additionally, episodes of ABC News’ “Good Morning America” are available each week.
- The addition of ESPN Deportes HD to Time Warner Cable’s larger footprint.
- The launch of ESPN 3D to Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks’ systems.
- A Time Warner Cable/ESPN Deportes co-branded, Spanish language sports website in Los Angeles.
- Availability of ESPN Radio feeds in New York, Los Angeles and Dallas to Time Warner Cable’s video platform.
- A plethora of ESPN-branded content made available on Time Warner Cable’s and Bright House Networks’ sports tier.
Co-chairs of Disney Media Networks George Bodenheimer and Anne Sweeney also commented on the announcement, stating: “The successful conclusion of this wide-ranging deal demonstrates our commitment to our distribution partners and our ability to work with them to provide consumers with an unmatched portfolio of national and local entertainment, news and sports content while continuing to strengthen both of our businesses.”
“We are pleased to have reached an agreement without any interruption in service,” said Glenn Britt, Time Warner Cable’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. “We thank our customers for their support, and we look forward to launching these new and innovative products and services.”
“We’re pleased that an agreement has been reached with no disruption in programming for our customers,” said Steve Miron, Chief Executive Officer, Bright House Networks.
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:) So happy to finally have
:) So happy to finally have ESPN3 soon.
Jeff Simmermon's (TWC's
Jeff Simmermon's (TWC's Director, Digital Communications) propaganda blog about why it's taking so long for TWC to get ESPN3 up and running:
http://www.twcableuntangled.com/2010/09/espn3-we-have-a-deal-but-its-going-to-take-time-to-implement/
The short version is that TWC wants to make sure that only TWC TV customers can access ESPN3. Internet only customers will not be able to access the site. If TWC were to allow all of their internet customers access, the process of allowing access would likely already be completed.
With football season having kicked off 3 weeks ago, I'd be PO'd if I didn't have any other way to access ESPN3 via my roadrunner internet(but I do...and ESPN3 is incredible).
To play devil's advocate
To play devil's advocate here: Why should I get ESPN3 when I'm an Internet only customer and don't pay for ESPN?
My guess is Disney makes that a stipulation. You had to be an HBO subscriber to use HBO On Broadband when TWC was testing it too. Should anybody who's only paying $30-50 a month for Internet only get free HBO?
Disney did not make that
Disney did not make that stipulation. TWC did. And TWC was the first ISP to sign up for ESPN3 that did make that stipulation. And it makes perfect sense from TWC's perspective. TWC is concerned (and justifiably so) that with the proliferation of ESPN3, Hulu, Netflix on demand, etc. that some customers will (and have) ditched cable TV entirely for the streaming/downloading option. I would myself if it weren't for my wife.
I'm glad they are walling it
I'm glad they are walling it off for ESPN TV customers. The last thing I need is for TWC to pass on a surcharge for ESPN content I don't intend to use.
My take was (and is) that
My take was (and is) that ESPN/Disney should offer ESPN3 on a subscription basis to everyone regardless of their ISP. I pay Major League Baseball every year for a web based video subscription and would do the same for ESPN3. But that doesn't appear to be their business model.
Again, I've been getting ESPN3 anyway (via my parents AT&T account), but am glad that I'll soon be able to get it through a more legitimate route via TWC.
I'll add that the MLB package is very affordable all things considered and I'm surprised other sports haven't followed their lead. The NFL sort of is with their DirectTV web offering this year, but they're asking 3 times what MLB charges.