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Walt Disney Company-subsidiaries, Disney-ABC Television Group and ESPN, and cable MSO, Cox Communications, have announced a trial which they say is designed to test several advanced VOD services: Cox and ABC have signed a non-binding letter of intent outlining the project, and are in the process of finalizing the terms of their p*artnership. They say that the trial will begin in Cox’s Orange County, California cable system this fall, and will then be rolled out in other markets.

The companies have described what they term the "key elements" of the planned trial:

• Episodes of four ABC primetime series–"Desperate Housewives," "Grey’s Anatomy," "Lost," and "Ugly Betty"–as well as select college football coverage from ESPN that airs on ABC, will be made available to Cox digital customers through the ad-supported f*reeZone section of the MSO’s VOD service on the day after their broadcast premiere. Significantly, Cox will disable the fast-forward option on its VOD service for all this content.
• Disney-ABC and Cox will work together to test dynamic ad insertion on Cox’s VOD platform when that technology becomes operational.
• ABC will syndicate its broadband player to Cox (note: this is the first time that the broadcaster has syndicated the player to a cable operator), so that Orange County-based users of Cox’s Cox.net broadband portal will be able to watch ad-supported, full-length episodes of various ABC primetime series online, the day after their linear broadcast.

"This project is another example of how our digital strategy integrates into our overall business strategy," Anne Sweeney, co-chair of Disney Media Networks and president of the Disney-ABC Television Group, said in a prepared statement. "It provides consumers with more access to our hit programming, while showcasing our continued dedication to working with our distribution and advertising p*artners to develop and grow viable multiplatform business opportunities that better meet the evolving needs of our industry."

Originally Published: May 30, 2007 in [itvt] Issue 7.32 Part 3

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