ABC is looking to become the first of the major broadcast networks to offer online live streaming, which would challenge Aereo.
The app is called Watch ABC and will be available for Apple iOS devices, but only in New york and Philadelphia when it launches in the fall. According to The LA Times, ABC owns the local stations in those markets. Areas with ABC-owned local stations will get the app first and ABC will have to negotiate terms with the affiliate owners before those markets get access.
ABC did strike a deal with Hearst Television, which owns affiliates in Boston, Pittsburgh and other key markets, so those areas will get it as it expands throughout the country.
The Hollywood Reporter notes that Philadelphia and New York users will get it for free starting Tuesday, but starting in June, users will also have to be pay-TV subscribers to get access.
Watch ABC will also offer on-demand programming.
“Watch ABC is a game-changing innovation for the broadcast television industry," Anne Sweeney, co-chair of Disney Media Networks and president of Disney/ABC Television Group said in a statement. “This announcement represents a defining moment in technology and distribution, as well as for our advertising and affiliate partners, as we ensure that our high-quality content is available to viewers on a variety of devices.”
This is the first time a network has decided to offer live, 24-hour streaming, which is currently the key missing component for online TV. Aereo, which takes over-the-air broadcasts and streams it online, has been trying to fill this void, but the networks are steadfastly against the company, since it doesn’t pay licensing fees.
ABC's announcement comes just a day before its upfront presentation in New York on Tuesday.