[SatNews] The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) and DIRECTV (NASDAQ:DTV) have announced a wide-ranging, multi-year distribution agreement that will provide DIRECTV customers with access to Disney’s lineup of sports, news, kids and entertainment content across televisions, computers, smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles and other connected devices.
DIRECTV customers will be able to access the live linear feeds and video-on-demand content from all ESPN and Disney cable networks and ABC owned and operated TV stations in and out of the home on the authenticated WATCH services, including WatchESPN, WATCH Disney Channel, WATCH Disney XD, WATCH Disney Junior, WATCH ABC Family and WATCH ABC – using Internet-enabled devices in early 2015 and soon via the DIRECTV Everywhere app on iOS and Android phones and tablets, and directv.com. Other new services to be introduced as part of the deal include Fusion, Longhorn Network, ESPN Goal Line and ESPN Buzzer Beater. DIRECTV customers will also be able to utilize expanded viewing functionality on select content across Disney/ESPN/ABC channels, and will have access to ESPN’s live multi-screen sports network, ESPN3, and SEC Network’s digital platform, SEC Network +. The companies will also explore new opportunities with respect to potential over-the-top (OTT) offerings.
The extensive and expanded rights package gives DIRECTV customers access to video-on-demand content at home and on-the-go through DIRECTVEverywhere on their computers, tablets and smartphones, including:
- ABC On Demand, a service that features a selection of top-rated primetime entertainment programming, including episodes of such popular current ABC shows as “Scandal,” Castle,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Once Upon A Time” and “Revenge.”
- ABC Family On Demand, which features a variety of top-rated full episodes, refreshed monthly, from such popular millennial favorites as “The Fosters,” “Switched at Birth,” “Baby Daddy” and “Melissa & Joey.”
- 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 such series as “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse,” “Sofia the First” and “Jake and the Never Land Pirates” for preschoolers, as well as variety of episodes from “A.N.T. Farm,” “Liv and Maddie,” “Jessie” and other popular series for older kids. Select episodes featured on Disney Channel On Demand will be available in innovative 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. Disney XD On Demand features a selection of episodes from such series as the Emmy Award-winning animated hit “Phineas and Ferb,” “Pair of Kings” and “Kickin’ It.”
- Expanded On Demand content from ESPN, including content from ESPN Deportes and ESPN’s award-winning original content from ESPN Films.
The DIRECTV infosite has additional company details at https://www.directv.com/
The Walt Disney Company infosite may be reached at https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/
