ABC Family to stream live online 24/7 beginning Jan. 6

I don’t normally publish press releases, but I just received this one from ABC Family, about their new WATCH ABC Family initiative. ABC Family is going to be streaming their channel live online 24/7. But there’s a catch. There always is. You have to have a current cable subscription that already includes access to the channel. Not only is it available on the web, but there will be iOS, Android, and Kindle apps at launch, which is this Monday, Jan. 6.

ABC, the broadcast network, previously announced that it’s only going to be putting episodes up eight days after air for those that don’t have a cable subscription or Hulu Plus account. There seems to be a lot of change with on-demand in the Disney/ABC company. I’m not a fan of the eight-days-later policy, but I’m posting about this because I think it’s an important step with how mainstream television and the Internet are blurring the lines.

The press release is below:

DISNEY/ABC TELEVISION GROUP SET TO ADD “WATCH ABC FAMILY” SERVICE TO ITS PORTFOLIO OF AUTHENTICATED “WATCH” LIVE STREAMING OFFERINGS

Also Rolling Out Advantaged Viewing Window for WATCH ABC On Demand Content

Dedicated to expanding its network and channel brands and content across multiple platforms and devices, Disney/ABC Television Group announced today that the new “WATCH ABC Family” authenticated service will launch on Monday, January 6, 2014. Similar to DATG’s WATCH ABC and suite of WATCH DISNEY services, the new WATCH ABC Family offering will allow viewers withparticipating TV subscription services access to 24/7 live viewing of the network, as well as continued on demand access to such popular series as “Pretty Little Liars,” “Switched at Birth,” “The Fosters,” “Baby Daddy” and “Melissa & Joey” at home and on the go via a wide array of devices.

At launch, the WATCH ABC Family app will be available on iOS and Kindle Fire devices, as well as select Android tablets, including Samsung Galaxy devices. Select Android phones, as well as Blackberry and Windows 8 devices, will be able to access the WATCH ABC Family service later this month. Viewers can also access WATCH ABC Family online at WATCHABCFamily.com.

Also, in support of DATG’s growing authenticated WATCH initiative, the availability of free streaming episodes from ABC and ABC Family will change beginning January 6th.  To watch the most current episodes of ABC and ABC Family shows the day after they air, viewers will log in to the WATCH ABC and WATCH ABC Family apps, WATCHABC.com, WATCHABCFamily.com and hulu.comwith their subscription TV account usernames and passwords.

Following an advantaged viewing window for subscription TV customers, on demand episodes will be unlocked for all WATCH ABC users eight days after their initial broadcast. On demand episodes of ABC Family series will only be available to verified customers of participating subscription TV providers.

Currently Disney/ABC Television Group has agreements in place for its authenticated WATCH products with a variety of Multichannel Video Programming Distributors (MVPDs), including Comcast, Cablevision, Cox Communications, Charter Communications, Midcontinent Communications, Verizon FiOS, Google Fiber and AT&T U-verse. Customers of the majority of these providers will be able to authenticate both WATCH ABC and WATCH ABC Family starting January 6.

“We are excited to continue to expand the breadth of our authenticated services with the launch of WATCH ABC Family,” said Albert Cheng,  executive vice president and chief product offficer, Digital Media, Disney/ABC Television Group. “Our portfolio of WATCH offerings, which have quickly become the industry standard for authenticated services, were designed in collaboration with our distribution partners to ensure that these products would add value for them and strengthen the MVPD ecosystem while still meeting the ever-evolving needs of our audience.”

The launch of WATCH ABC Family follows the successful rollout of WATCH ABC earlier this year and the three authenticated WATCH Disney services — WATCH Disney Channel, WATCH Disney XD and WATCH Disney Junior — in June 2012.

The WATCH ABC app offers on demand episode viewing to verified users of participating pay TV providers across the country, andis the first and only linear broadcasting service to provide authenticated viewers with live access to their favorite ABC shows and local market programming at home and on the go.  Live streaming is currently available in ABC’s eight Owned Station markets – New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, ouston, Raleigh-Durham and Fresno.  Plans are in place for the WATCH ABC service to roll out to Hearst Television-owned ABC markets in the coming months.

Over the past several years, the Disney/ABC Television Group has consistently unveiled innovative, award-winning multiplatform services and apps. In addition to the WATCH services, other notable DATG apps include the Disney Junior Appisode app, whichoffers true interactive viewing, allowing kids ages 2-7 to touch, tap, swipe, tilt, shake and talk their way through various fun-filled activities embedded into episodes of some of their favorite Disney Junior shows; the award-winning ABC Player and ABC Family Player apps; the ABC News app; and the Emmy Award-winning official Oscars app, which provided unique backstage viewing experiences for the 83^rd, 84^th, and 85^th Academy Awards.