Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA) reached a new distribution agreement with Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) that will eventually give TWC subscribers access to live streaming video of some Discovery networks.
Discovery has been something of a TV Everywhere holdout. Peers in the pay-TV industry began letting subscribers access live streaming content online after authenticating their subscriptions through participating pay-TV providers years ago. The lack of Nielsen measurement of the ads that run during online streams was one hurdle for Discovery to clear before allowing such streaming.
Another was apparently the price pay-TV distributors pay for the privilege of carrying its networks. According to the Wall Street Journal, which cited people "familiar with the matter," Time Warner Cable increased the amount of money it pays to carry Discovery's networks on its cable systems as part of the deal.
It's not clear when Discovery's networks will be available to stream to Time Warner Cable customers. A press release announcing the renewed carriage agreement only said such features are expected "in the near future."
For more:
- read the press release
- the Wall Street Journal had this report (sub. req.)
On the Hot Seat: Fox's Brennan: TV Everywhere 'is probably our most important online strategy'
Related articles:
Roku devices will get Disney TV Everywhere apps
Study says TV Everywhere is hardly anywhere