ABC Test Numbers Top 3 Million

 
By Sherri May 24, 2006




The doubters appear to have been proven wrong about their opinions surrounding ABC's decision to further test the online waters through a streaming video trial that began a little more than 2 weeks ago.

Since the Walt Disney Co. network, ABC's parent company, began the two-month trial, the ABC shows available for free viewing have been watched more than 3 million times. This means the demand for online viewing is more than there and likely will continue to grow stronger with all the new offerings out.

ABC's trial includes free streams of shows such as "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost." Check it out by clicking here.

We're going to experiment with different business models," Disney CEO Bob Iger said on Thursday at a lunch sponsored by the Boston College Chief Executives' Club.

Disney is looking at a variety of options for expanding the service, which airs shows on the ABC.com site about 12 hours after they are first broadcast on television, Iger said.
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The online episodes each include ads, which viewers must either watch or click through.

Prior to the trial, analysts questioned the ability of streams to satisfy user demands while retaining quality. With 3 million views plus to date, it doesn't sound like the system's bogging down too much, and it looks like Disney is considering some other avenues beyond iTunes for the delivery of its content online, including other pay-per-view options.

Related:
Analysts Say ABC Idea Is Bad
ABC To Test Streaming Video
ABC Streaming Test Begins
Web TV Should Be More Accessible