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Disney's networks are back on Dish following a 'handshake agreement'
Disney stations including ABC, ESPN, FX and Disney Channel are back on Dish and Sling TV after the two players reached a tentative agreement.
ABC, ESPN and other Disney networks go dark on Dish and Sling TV
Dish claimed Disney wanted nearly $1 billion more to extend a contract that has now expired.
ESPN, ABC are back on YouTube TV following a deal with Disney
Disney channels like ESPN and ABC are returning to YouTube TV after the two companies reached a deal.
YouTube TV loses access to ESPN, ABC and other Disney channels
Google has failed to strike a deal that would allow it to continue offering YouTube TV subscribers access to Disney's channels.
YouTube TV may lose ESPN, ABC, FX and other Disney channels this week
YouTube TV has warned that channels including ABC, ESPN, FX and others may go dark by end of day on December 17th if it can't come to terms with Disney.
Disney announces a 'strategic reorganization' to focus on streaming
Today Disney unveiled a new corporate structure that divides its content business into three groups that are “responsible and accountable for producing and delivering content for theatrical, linear and streaming, with the primary focus being the Company’s streaming services.” After assembling a warchest of content production with ESPN, ABC, Fox, Lucasfilm, Pixar, Marvel and of course its own Disney properties, the point of the new structure is figuring out the best way to distribute it all. Former president of Consumer Products, Games and Publishing Kareem Daniel has been promoted to oversee the new media distribution group.
FuboTV adds ESPN and other Disney channels to its live TV service
FuboTV will carry ESPN, ABC and other Disney channels on its live TV service, filling one of the few remaining gaps in its lineup.
Disney+ has already netted 28.6 million subscribers
Disney's start on direct-to-customer streaming came out of the gate with the bang, as the company reported it had 26.5 million paid subscribers for Disney+ (PDF) by the end of 2019. ESPN+ grew to 6.6 million subscribers from 1.4 million last year, while Hulu has 30 million customers total, with 3.2 million of them signing up for live TV services. On a call with investors, CEO Bob Iger reported that Disney+ is still growing, and is up to 28.6 million customers worldwide as of Monday. Iger also announced that Disney+ will launch in India via the company's HotStar service and said Hulu could launch internationally in 2021. On the call with investors, Iger specified that season two of The Mandalorian will debut in October, as well as shows the MCU shows it featured in Super Bowl ads. Falcon and the Winter Soldier will launch in August, and Wandavision arrives in December. He also said that the Star Wars show will run beyond two seasons, with a possibility of "infusing it with more characters and taking those characters in their own direction in terms of series." Executives said they don't expect the next "significant" domestic growth to happen until those series launch. According to the CEO, people weren't just watching the viral series, with over 65 percent of viewers watching ten other things on the platform. Interestingly, he also said that the current priority of Star War is TV as opposed to theatrical releases.
'Jimmy Kimmel Live' fined $395,000 for using emergency alert tones
The FCC has just demonstrated that it's not messing around with emergency alerts. The agency fined ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live $395,000 for using the real tones during a skit which mocked the idea of President Trump having access to the system. AMC's The Walking Dead was also fined $104,000 for using an alert tone during a February 19th episode. In total, the FCC said it handed down some $600,000 in civil penalties.
Major broadcasters sue nonprofit TV service over copyright infringement
CBS, ABC, NBC and Fox have joined forces in a fight against Locast, a nonprofit streaming service funded in part by AT&T Inc and Dish Network Corp. The service is marketed as a distribution alternative for people who can't get local TV signals through their antenna, but it's also earned a reputation as a free alternative for consumers who are tired of their cable bills. According to The Wall Street Journal, the four networks claim Locast is retransmitting their local TV signals without permission, therefore violating copyright law.
How to stream New Year's Eve 2019 countdowns
If you'd rather stream New Year's Eve celebrations in North America than venture outside, you'll have plenty of options... including a novelty or two. The most notable example comes from Times Square itself, which will show the New York City ball drop for 2019 in all its glory. However, you can also watch well-known game streamer Ninja play in Times Square using Twitch. You're covered if Fortnite is more to your taste than champagne, in other words.
Facebook's Portal video hub gains major news channels and recipes
Facebook's Portal and Portal+ smart calling devices have only been available for a month, but they're already getting significant updates. The latest version will bring news content from ABC and CNN, and via a new web browser, offer access to Monday Night Football from ESPN, YouTube and AllRecipes.com. You'll also be able to play Facebook's Instant Games like Battleship, Disney's Tsum Tsum and more.
Overwatch League will air on ABC, ESPN and Disney networks
Overwatch League playoffs kick off tonight and so does a partnership between Blizzard Entertainment and Disney that will bring the league's competitions to the Disney, ESPN and ABC family of networks. The companies agreed to a multi-year deal that will allow Overwatch League matches to be broadcast on ESPN, ESPN2, Disney XD, ABC and streaming services. The deal includes this season's playoffs and finals as well as all of next season.
Twitter nabs live ESPN shows in new Disney deal
It's not just TV networks like Fox that are promising a host of live Twitter shows. Disney and Twitter have struck a deal that will bring a range of live shows to the social network. The pact will cover Disney's "entire" portfolio of entertainment, news and sports, including ESPN. You probably won't want to ditch ESPN+ for whatever's coming (why would Disney give away the cash cow?), but it does bode well if you want a free sports fix.
Roku is getting free live news, starting with ABC
If there's one thing streaming video watchers love, it's free stuff. So it wasn't a huge surprise to see Roku launch a free ad-supported movie channel of its own last year. Now, it's adding news coverage to that selection, starting with ABC News Live, a 24/7 online offering and an offering that can compete with CBS' own online-only news channel. And on top of that, there will also be live streams from Cheddar, People TV and Newsy. Sure, it may seem like what's old is new again, but it's a smart move for Roku, since it makes its streaming platform much more useful for consumers. And more importantly, it gives them one more reason to stick around.
A live-action reboot of ‘The Jetsons’ is headed to ABC
The Jetson family is coming back to television. ABC has ordered a put pilot for a live-action reboot of the animated series, Variety reports. The show is said to be a multi-cam sitcom set 100 years in the future and the project is being executive produced by Robert Zemeckis and Jack Rapke while Gary Janetti -- who has written for Family Guy and Will & Grace, among others -- is set to write.
Netflix signs Shonda Rhimes away from ABC in huge coup
Disney recently turned the screws on Netflix by pulling its content and unveiling a streaming service of its own, but now the tables have turned. Netflix revealed that it has signed Shonda Rhimes away from Disney-owned ABC to a multiyear production deal. Rhimes and her production company, Shondaland, will move from their ABC Studios base to Netflix, though she'll continue to work on ABC shows currently airing or in development like Grey's Anatomy.
Edible robot surgeons will cure you from the inside out
Back in 1985, the best robotic surgeon we had was the Puma 560, a manipulator arm just barely more advanced than Rocky Balboa's robo-butler. Just barely. The Puma was nevertheless revolutionary. It was the very first mechanical operator, progenitor to steady-handed robo-surgeons like the DaVinci system. But in the near future, robots will no longer be cutting into us -- from the outside, at least.
AT&T's DirecTV Now expands its local channel lineup
As pay TV subscriber growth declines, regional content affiliates are looking for more ways to bring in customers (and their money) via digital platforms like Sling TV, Hulu, PlayStation Vue, and DirecTV Now. One way to stem the tide of vanishing local cord-cutters is to offer more local programming, which could entice customers to bundled internet TV packages. AT&T's Direct TV now service just announced that it has more than doubled its own live local channel line up, adding local NBC, ABC and FOX affiliates around the US. The company claims that the expansion gives DirecTV Now local coverage for almost 70 percent of US households.
'Orange is the New Black' hackers may have stolen 36 other shows
When the hackers who swiped Netflix's unreleased Orange is the New Black season warned that they had shows from other TV networks, they might not have been kidding around. TheDarkOverlord has reportedly provided DataBreaches.net with a "preview" of the shows it obtained from Larson Studios, and it looks like there could be 36 more titles in the mix -- many of which you've likely heard about. The mix includes recent and yet-to-air episodes of Fox's New Girl, FX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, IFC's Portlandia and CBS' NCIS: Los Angeles, among others. There are also singular titles like the Vin Diesel movie XXX: Return of Xander Cage as well as Netflix's Bill Nye Saves the World and a YouTube Red original.
