Netflix has signed a new licensing agreement with Disney-ABC, adding tons of new content to their Watch Instantly streaming service.
For the first time ever, Disney has added ABC Family content to the streaming library.
Newer first-run content will be available 15 days after initial telecast.
Part of the new agreement are “prior season episodes of current ABC hit series “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Desperate Housewives” and, for the first time on Netflix, “Brothers & Sisters.”
Furthermore, Netflix will have all seasons of “Scrubs,” “Lost,” Ugly Betty” and “Reaper.”
From the Disney Channel comes more episodes of “Phineas and Ferb,” “Good Luck Charlie,” “The Suite Life on Deck” and “Wizards of Waverly Place.”
Finally, from ABC Family comes the catalogs of “Greek,” “Make It or Break It,” “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” and “Melissa & Joey.”
Result for: desperate housewives
Apple has announced that all four of the major TV broadcasters; ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC, have agreed to offer programming in HD on the company’s iTunes platform.
The shows will cost $2.99, a premium over the $1.99 for standard definition and the company says there are about 600 shows available in HD on iTunes now.
Since Apple announced limited HD programming last month, they have sold over 1 million HD shows, most being NBC content that returned to the store after a one year absence.
A few of the new notable shows added are ABC’s “Brothers & Sisters,” “Desperate Housewives,” “Dirty Sexy Money,” “Eli Stone,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Life on Mars,” “Lost,” “Private Practice,” “Samantha Who?” and “Ugly Betty.” CBS programming includes “CSI,” “CSI: Miami,” “CSI: New York,” “NCIS” and “Numb3rs.” FOX shows include “Bones,” “House,” “Prison Break” and “Sons of Anarchy,” from FX.
Although I am sure the shows will sell extremely well, I’m not sure I understand why when pretty much all the content is available for free (with limited ads), and in HD, elsewhere on sites such as Hulu.
Result for: desperate housewives
Japan’s largest retail chain, Tsutaya, has announced that it will be starting an HD video on demand (VOD) service that will allow users to download titles from home using the acTVila portal that is popular on Japanese plasma and LCD HDTVs.
The chain did not specify what format the videos were in, but did say that users will have 48 hours to watch the films or TV shows as many times as they want.
Tsutaya has over 27 million members and 1,330 branches in Japan and added it plans to make deals with Paramount, Warner Brothers, Walt Disney and NBC Universal to expand its available online library to 2000 titles. The chain also added that “high-speed fiber-optic connections are required for use of the service,” and about a quarter of Japan’s 48 million homes are currently equipped.
The service is set to launch tomorrow with downloads of the first seasons of Heroes, Lost and Desperate Housewives. Each full length movie will cost 735 yen (about $7 USD) with other prices unknown right now.
