Whereas the headline is absolutely attention getting, the caveats and quid pro quos backloaded in this feature are significant and, frankly, off-putting. Yes, live streaming is coming to the ABC iOS app, but only to existing cable subscribers and only in select markets.

“We keep a very close eye on consumer demand,” said Anne Sweeney, the president of the Disney-ABC Television Group. “We watch how people are behaving with their devices, and we really felt that we needed to move faster.”

The change will arrive in an ABC Player (free) update coming this week.

The live streaming feature will be available via a new button in the ABC Player app. That said, Hearst Television subscribers in New York and Philadelphia will be able to watch ABC shows live as they are broadcast.

Additionally, ABC says that live streaming will be available in six additional cities where the network owns local affiliates this Summer. The company is also said to be in talks with the owners of the more than 200 affiliates around the US.

For what it’s worth, the project was code-named internally as “Project Acela” — a 21st Century idea born on a high-speed train? We need a lot more of that.

What we don’t need, however, are more deals, like this, that perpetuate the current pay TV business model…

What’s your take?

via New York Times

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