or


[02/08/07 - 10:40 AM]
Disney-ABC Television Group's Emmy-Winning ABC.com to Offer Viewers More Ways to View Their Favorite ABC Shows Online with Full-Screen and Mini-Player Capabilities
Beginning this spring, users will be able to watch episodes in two additional screen sizes.

[via press release from ABC]

DISNEY-ABC TELEVISION GROUP'S EMMY-WINNING ABC.COM TO OFFER VIEWERS MORE WAYS TO VIEW THEIR FAVORITE ABC SHOWS ONLINE WITH FULL-SCREEN AND MINI-PLAYER CAPABILITIES

New Propriety Research Confirms Additive Nature of Online Viewing and Increased Viewer Perception of Online Advertisers

Dedicated to expanding its network and channel brands across multiple platforms and connecting viewers with their favorite shows anytime and anywhere, Disney-ABC Television Group will add further enhancements to its Emmy Award-winning ABC.com broadband video, beginning this spring, it was announced today by Anne Sweeney, co-chair, Disney Media Networks and president, Disney-ABC Television Group, at The Walt Disney Company�s 2007 Investor Conference.

�We have been clearly focused on what consumers are doing and continue to build our business to match their behavior and their interests. In the past year, through efforts like our ABC.com video player, we�ve shown our dedication to deliver the best content to consumers in ways that are relevant and cost effective for them,� said Ms. Sweeney. �By continuing to listen to our audience and enhance our digital offerings with the best technology available, we further strengthen their relationship to our brands.�

Beginning this spring, users will be able to watch episodes in two additional screen sizes. Providing beautiful, crisp resolution, a full-screen viewing size will be added. Also, a small �mini� screen (240x136 pixels) that users can position wherever they choose on their desktops will be available. The standard viewing size (500x282 pixels) and the larger viewing size (720x404 pixels) will both continue to be offered as well. The enhanced player will also feature dynamic bandwidth selection which automatically adjusts the bitrate of video streamed to maximize the experience for users, regardless of the capabilities of their Internet connection.

Additionally, a �Pause Ad� feature will be rolled out. Whenever users pause an episode they are viewing online, the screen will feature a static ad from that episode�s featured sponsor which will remain on-screen until they reinitiate viewing of the show.

Later this year ABC.com�s full episode player will be expanded further to include national news and local content, in addition to primetime entertainment programming. Additionally, this new player will be geo-targeted, offering the ability for local ads and content to be more relevant to each individual user.

To date, ABC affiliates covering 80% of the country, including all major affiliate groups as well as the ten ABC owned stations, have launched or have committed to launching the player on their own websites and are taking advantage of the opportunity to incorporate local advertising into the programming.

�We are excited to see that research continues to support two of our original hypotheses. First, it again confirms making episodes available online results in additive viewing opportunities for consumers and is not cannibalizing linear network viewership,� said Albert Cheng, executive vice president, Digital Media, Disney-ABC Television Group. �Secondly, users have an extremely positive response to the interactive advertising on ABC.com. It has been part of our strategy to conceive and demonstrate a new advertising model on the web with 30-second countdown clocks, interactive ad containers, pause ads and other future innovations that help our advertisers and maintain a quality consumer experience. We are pleased to see advertisers embracing this strategy and working with us to create interactive ads that engage consumers and maximize the potential the platform has to offer.�

Since the broadband player launched as a permanent feature on ABC.com in September 2006, over 50 million episodes of ABC primetime series have been initiated by users. Based on new research conducted for ABC by Frank N. Magid Associates late last year, the broadband player continues to attracted a young, highly educated audience; the average age of users was 28, and more than half were college graduates. In general, users of the ABC.com broadband player skew female, mirroring the linear network�s audience.

Among those surveyed, 77% watched online because they had missed a particular episode on television and were looking to catch up. Viewing generally occurs within the first 24 hours of an episode�s broadcast on ABC, with online viewing peaking at 10:00 p.m., ET/ 7:00 p.m., PT. The majority of users viewed from home (76%), with 57% using a desktop computer and 43% a laptop.

On average, 84% of users surveyed were able to recall the advertiser who sponsored the episode they viewed. Users surveyed embraced the interactive advertising, with almost 50% rating the advertising experience as �excellent� and approximately one-third describing the featured advertisements as �entertaining� and �informative.� Users surveyed gave especially high marks to �entertainment� category sponsors, as well as sponsors whose ads contained the multiple opportunities for interaction including games, product demos and coupon offers.

ABC.com�s broadband player currently offers full-length episodes of �Desperate Housewives,� �Grey�s Anatomy,� �Lost,� �Ugly Betty,� �Brothers & Sisters,� �MEN IN TREES,� �Six Degrees,� �What About Brian,� �The Knights of Prosperity� and �According to Jim� free to consumers on ABC�s website the day after their broadcast premieres. Additionally, the entire season, including previously untelevised episodes of �Day Break,� are offered.

Disney-ABC Television Group is home to all of The Walt Disney Company�s worldwide entertainment and news television properties. The Group includes the ABC Television Network, Disney Channel�s worldwide portfolio of kids� channels, ABC Family and SOAPnet; as well as television production and syndication divisions Touchstone Television, Walt Disney Television Animation, Buena Vista Worldwide Television and Walt Disney Television International. Disney-ABC Television Group also manages the Radio Disney Network in addition to the Company�s equity interest in Lifetime Entertainment Services and A&E Television Networks.





  [february 2007]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
    


· BROTHERS & SISTERS (ABC)
· DAY BREAK (ABC)
· DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (ABC)
· GREY'S ANATOMY (ABC)
· KNIGHTS OF PROSPERITY, THE (ABC)
· LOST (ABC)
· MEN IN TREES (ABC)
· SIX DEGREES (ABC)
· UGLY BETTY (ABC)
· WHAT ABOUT BRIAN (ABC)





[05/12/26 - 05:22 PM]
Fandom Takes Center Stage as Disney's Sports, TV and Film Powerhouses Command the North Javits Center
Energized by on stage appearances from more than 100 notable figures, the presentation underscored Disney's position at the forefront of the global media industry and its ambitious path ahead, driven by the powerful intersection of fandom, storytelling, innovation, and creative culture redefining the future of the industry.

[05/12/26 - 04:01 PM]
Video: "Human Vapor" - Official Teaser - Netflix
A legendary Toho film is rebooted with a brand-new story.

[05/12/26 - 02:29 PM]
CFP Contenders and Non-Conference Clashes Headline ESPN's Industry-Leading, Early-Season College Football Schedule Reveal at Disney Upfront
Nine of ESPN.com's Way-Too-Early Top 25 are featured in the schedule release, including No. 1 Ohio State, No. 5 Texas, No. 7 Miami, No. 8 Texas Tech, No. 9 Ole Miss and No. 11 LSU.

[05/12/26 - 02:29 PM]
The Grammy Awards Set to Take Place Sunday, Feb. 7, 2027, and Will Air Live on ABC and Stream on Disney+ and Hulu
The upcoming ceremony marks a historic shift for the organization as the 2027 Grammy Awards will be the first ceremony to air on ABC since 1972, ushering in a new era for the most celebrated night in music.

[05/12/26 - 02:29 PM]
Disney and the Country Music Association Extend Relationship Through 2032
As part of the new agreement, the CMA Awards will stream live on Disney+ for the first time ever, alongside its traditional broadcast on ABC, kicking off with "The 60th Annual CMA Awards" on Wednesday, November 18, 2026.

[05/12/26 - 02:24 PM]
ESPN's "College GameDay Built by The Home Depot" Kicks Off 40th Season in Baton Rouge with 500th Show on the Road
Following Baton Rouge, College GameDay will travel to Austin, Texas on September 12 for a battle of powerhouse programs in Week 2 as the Texas Longhorns host Ohio State in a rematch of last season's 14-7 Buckeyes' win in Columbus.

[05/12/26 - 02:06 PM]
Paul Anthony Kelly Joins Cast of FX's "American Horror Story" Installment 13 Coming This Fall to FX and Hulu
FX's "American Horror Story," the global phenomenon that has garnered more than 100 Emmy nominations since its launch in 2011, returns for an unrivaled 13th installment that will do justice to everyone's most feared number.

[05/12/26 - 01:55 PM]
Disney+ Becomes the Exclusive Home of the Banana Bowl This October
Known for blending athleticism with entertainment, the game will include one of the biggest performances the league has ever seen, bringing together all six teams, along with its signature on-field showmanship from first pitch to final out.

[05/12/26 - 01:42 PM]
The 99th Oscars Reunites Host Conan O'Brien and Executive Producers Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan
The 99th Oscars will air live on ABC and Hulu on Sunday, March 14, 2027 at 7 p.m. EDT/4 p.m. PDT.

[05/12/26 - 01:38 PM]
Savannah Bananas' Jackson Olson Slides Into the Ballroom for "Dancing with the Stars" Season 35
The full cast of celebrities and professional dancers will be announced Wednesday, September 2, exclusively on "Good Morning America."

[05/12/26 - 01:32 PM]
ESPN Sets the Stage for Super Bowl LXI With Week Long Expansive Broadcast and Fan Experience on Santa Monica Beach
These efforts are all building toward Super Bowl LXI on February 14, 2027, which will air on ESPN and ABC and mark ESPN's first production of the Super Bowl.

[05/12/26 - 12:05 PM]
Oscar Isaac, Betty Gilpin, Alec Baldwin, and David Costabile Will Star in "The Roman"
A high stakes modern casino drama series from the creators of "Billions" and executive produced by Martin Scorsese.

[05/12/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of May 4 - The Critters of "Swapped" Soar to No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
The pursuit of justice is action-packed in "Man on Fire," which set the English TV list ablaze at No. 1 with 12.6 million views.

[05/12/26 - 11:31 AM]
CNN FlashDoc "The Last Laugh: Stephen Colbert" to Stream on Friday, May 15 on the CNN App
The special will also air Sunday, May 17 at 8pm ET on CNN, just days before the highly anticipated finale of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."

[05/12/26 - 11:13 AM]
BET Greenlights Manny Halley Productions' "Lot Patrol," A Star-Studded Mockumentary Comedy Series
A mismatched squad of eccentric security guards patrols the chaotic backlot of a major Hollywood studio, where they wrangle unhinged actors, rogue crew members, and their own wildly dysfunctional personal lives.