There may be no apparent silver lining in all the storm clouds surrounding retransmission these days but there appears to be at least a fiber optic lining. Verizon (NYSE: VZ) and the sometimes-disagreeable Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) have found ways to bury potential disagreements without burying hatchets in each other's skulls. The two entities entered into what a Verizon news release described as a "long-term, wide-ranging agreement that will continue to provide Verizon customers with the Disney and ESPN services they already receive."
Of course this is just the cake. The icing is an agreement that Verizon will carry ESPN Goal Line, ESPN 3D, Disney Junior, mobile programming and live online streaming of "several ESPN networks."
The deal shows that Verizon has a flexible model that's consistent with the way the media is going, said David Preschlack, executive vice president of affiliate sales for Disney and ESPN Media Networks Group (DEMN), noting in the news release: "Gone are the days of linear channel distribution only--we are tasked with helping our affiliates grow their businesses on multiple platforms and this deal reflects that."
For more:
- see this news release
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