Joining Time Warner Cable, Verizon Fios becomes the second cable provider to sign an agreement with Disney to offer the dedicated ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and Buzzer Beater college basketball channel online. These are the same networks that are available on TV so all programming, live games and SportsCenter can be seen not only on television, but on their laptops and desktop computers. Verizon plans to make the networks available through mobile devices and tablets at a later date. We have full details of the new arrangement. The new service will start Friday for Verizon Fios TV subscribers.
Verizon FiOS to Offer Live Online Streaming of ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and Buzzer Beater
Separately, the Two Companies Reached an Agreement for Retransmission Consent for ABC Owned StationsNEW YORK – As part of a wide-ranging agreement between the Walt Disney Company and Verizon, FiOS TV customers will be able to watch ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN Buzzer Beater live online beginning today. To access the online programming, Verizon customers must subscribe to FiOS TV.The online rights to the ESPN networks are part of a broader agreement, which also includes the full suite of cable services from the Walt Disney Company: ABC Family, Disney Channel, Disney XD and the soon-to-be-launched Disney Junior, as well as retransmission consent for local ABC broadcast stations.“Expanding our online video content to include the ESPN networks provides our FiOS customers with some of the best in sports programming, right at their fingertips,” said Terry Denson, vice president of content strategy and acquisition for Verizon. “Whether watching FiOS on your TV, PC or mobile device, Verizon continues to make it easy for customers to view a growing amount of programming while on the go.”
Added David Preschlack, executive vice president, Disney and ESPN Media Networks, “Offering our live networks online further demonstrates our commitment to serving sports fans, and we couldn’t do it without the cooperation of forward-thinking distributors like Verizon FiOS. From today forward, FiOS TV customers can choose to watch ESPN on their big screen or on their computer screen – it’s a real sea change in our business and an indication of where our industry is heading.”FiOS TV customers will be able to watch ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN Buzzer Beater live on their personal computers or laptops – at home or away – using any broadband connection. Buzzer Beater, which features live cut-ins and highlights from numerous top college basketball games during each Wednesday and Saturday of the college basketball season, is normally only available to FiOS TV customers who subscribe to the Extreme HD or Ultimate HD TV packages but currently will be accessible to Prime TV package customers through a free preview. ESPN Goal Line, a similar service for college football season, will become available for online viewing when football season begins in September for FiOS TV customers subscribing to the Extreme HD or Ultimate HD packages.Users will have several viewing options for the channels, including picture-in-picture, simultaneous viewing of more than one channel, and full-screen viewing of a single channel. Verizon and ESPN plan to make the programming available on other Internet enabled devices, such as mobile phones and tablets, in the near future.Using their Verizon Online user names and passwords, FiOS TV customers will be able to access the online programming at either www.verizon.com/fiostvcentral or www.ESPNnetworks.com.This new content joins part of Verizon’s high-quality, online video entertainment, which the company has been delivering since 2005. FiOS also offers a broad collection of programming on TV, with more than 520 all-digital channels including up to 142 HD channels and 19,000 monthly video-on-demand titles. FiOS also provides next-generation interactive services including an advanced interactive media guide; social networking, news and entertainment widgets; remote DVR management via broadband or cell phone; and more.
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