Disney to trial free offerings of popular shows online

April 10, 2006

Using advertising revenue to support the project on ABC.com; AT&T, Ford, Procter & Gamble and Universal Pictures have already signed up for the trial run. Popular shows such as: Commander in Chief, Alias, Lost and Desperate Housewives are scheduled to be offered on the Web in May and June the day after they broadcast. The video files will allow the user to pause and move between chapters in an episode, but you wont be able to skip the ads.

"In the future, consumers will rely more and more on strong brands to help them navigate the digital world, and we have some of the strongest brands in entertainment," said Anne Sweeney, president of the Disney-ABC television group. "Stay tuned ... because this is just the beginning."

Disney is also planning on offering a high-speed Internet channel called Soapnetic, on April 17, for subscribers to Verizon Communications' Internet services.

Source: C|Net