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ABC steps up online show strategy ABC is advancing its controversial strategy of putting programmes online for free, following the completion of a two-month trial in which consumers requested 5.7 million episodes of hits like Lost and Desperate Housewives. The Disney-owned network caused outrage among local television stations across America that rely on it and the other US majors for their output when the trial was first unveiled in May. These affiliates were concerned about the impact a direct-to-consumer ABC online programme-streaming service - making shows available just one day after airing - would have upon the ratings those shows attract on their stations. Now the Mouse has decided to build on this strategy, moving beyond mere trial with the launch of a fully-fledged ad-supported broadband player. The move will likely prompt further fears among affiliates that they're being short-changed on new media revenues. When Fox launched a similar move later in May it agreed a deal with its 170-plus affiliates to give them a share of these revenues in return for the freedom to repurpose programmes in any way across any platform. It remains to be seen whether ABC goes the same way when its new broadband player launches in the autumn, with a wider array of shows than Lost, Desperate Housewives, Alias and Commander in Chief – the only ones involved in the trial. Discussions are currently underway. One change will be that instead of making programmes available for a full two months after broadcast this will be cut down to one, although results from the trial showed that the majority of viewing took place in the first 24 hours after airing. The 5.7 million requested episodes certainly represented major proof of demand. With each episode sliced into four separate video streams, interspersed by ad breaks, this amounted to 16 million served streams, meaning not all viewers watched shows in their entirety. Some 79% of those surveyed reported a positive online viewing experience and 87% said that they were likely to recommend the site to others. The average age of users was 29, and more than half were college graduates. Users of the broadband player were almost equally split between males and females. "The launch of ABC.com's broadband player was a huge step for us as we strategically reposition our websites from marketing tools to rich entertainment platforms," said Anne Sweeney, co-chair, Disney Media Networks, and president, Disney-ABC Television Group. "The research that has come out of the trial helped prove true several hypotheses regarding our consumers and their online viewing patterns. With the data we've collected, we are better equipped to move forward with our advertisers and affiliates to create new multiplatform opportunities for our consumers." Jonathan Webdale 4 Aug 2006 © C21 Media 2006 
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