DIRECTV, Disney Sign New Multi-Year Deal

(RTTNews) - Walt Disney Co. (DIS) and DIRECTV (DTV) on Tuesday announced a wide-ranging, multi-year distribution agreement that will provide DIRECTV customers with access to Disney's robust lineup of top quality sports, news, kids and entertainment content across televisions, computers, smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles and other connected devices.

DIRECTV customers will be able to access the live linear feeds and video-on-demand content from all ESPN and Disney cable networks and ABC owned and operated TV stations in and out of the home on the authenticated WATCH services - including WatchESPN, WATCH Disney Channel, WATCH Disney XD, WATCH Disney Junior, WATCH ABC Family and WATCH ABC - using Internet-enabled devices in early 2015 and soon via the DIRECTV Everywhere app on iOS and Android phones and tablets, and directv.com.

Other new services to be introduced as part of the deal include Fusion, Longhorn Network, ESPN Goal Line and ESPN Buzzer Beater. DIRECTV customers will also be able to utilize expanded viewing functionality on select content across Disney/ESPN/ABC channels, and will have access to ESPN's live multi-screen sports network, ESPN3, and SEC Network's digital platform, SEC Network +. The companies will also explore new opportunities with respect to potential over-the-top offerings.

Continuing services covered by the broad scope of this multi-year agreement include: ABC Family, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN Deportes, ESPNEWS and SEC Network. In addition, ESPN Classic will be reintroduced as a video-on-demand service.

The companies also renewed carriage agreement for ABC's eight owned local stations, including WABC-TV in New York City, KABC-TV in Los Angeles, WLS-TV in Chicago, WPVI-TV in Philadelphia, KGO-TV in San Francisco, WTVD-TV in Raleigh-Durham, KTRK-TV in Houston, and KFSN in Fresno.