ABC gets into bed with Yahoo7!
Some ABC shows will now be available via PLUS7 catch-up site in a surprising deal between public and commercial broadcasters.
- Published by David Knox
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- Filed under News
Yahoo!7 has signed a rather surprising deal with the ABC that will see select archival ABC shows made available via PLUS7.
The Gruen Transfer (series 1 and 2), Lawrence Leung’s Choose Your Own Adventure, and The Cook and the Chef comprise approximately 80 hours of ABC content will become available over the next 12 months.
Kath Hamilton, Director of Audience, Yahoo!7 said, “Since we launched our catch-up TV service at the start of 2010 there have been over 12.7 million full episode streams of our shows. We are proud to be the number one TV website in Australia1 and continue to look for ways to improve and expand the service which is why we are delighted to confirm this new deal with ABC. We have now launched 100 shows so far this year on PLUS7.”
Director of ABC Commercial, Lynley Marshall added, “This deal represents another important step in fulfilling ABC Commercial’s digital strategy to extend our brand to new platforms and reach as many Australians as possible.”
Marshall’s last line is a direct acknowledgment of ABC’s Charter which notes that it must continually seek to bring more ABC content to more Australians (hence one of the reasons we’ve have the ad-less iView). But the marriage with Yahoo7! will align public broadcaster content with the commercial advertising which runs mid-roll in PLUS7.
Nothing in the announcement indicates exclusivity, meaning the shows should still be available via iView. It could also mean other catch-up sites such as Nine’s FIXPlay could enter into similar arrangements with the ABC, presumably even for the same shows.
15 Responses
Billy C, programs are only on iView for two weeks. It’s only meant to be catch up service, unlike YouTube.
Quite a few of these shows are on Fairfax sites or Youtube but curiously not on iview. ABC is I trying to flog them off for cash which is fine with me. I’ve already been able to watch them for free on Iview.
I’ve ordered a google tv from US and iview and plus 7 work brilliantly
My take is that the shows will be on plus7 permantly like how the BBC programs are on FIXPlay.
Improve the PS3 port and I’ll be happy.
If this means the same shows may not be available on iView, then this is a giant leap backwards.
7 have a history of showing ABC programs
Abort! Abort!
Fixplay already has a lot of ABC’s old BBC content. However, I don’t understand why they don’t fight for these rights for iView and expand their own service.
So is this content going to be shown with ads? I’m assuming not or else Friends of the ABC would be up in arms already, but it doesn’t seem to be specified anywhere.
Good, now just get Plus7 on Panasonic VieraCast like they have promised earlier in the year.
Very strange idea… How is iView not enough. Ps David I’m loving the mobile version of the website, so much easier to use now!
Plus7 seems to be taking off, i must say iView and Plus7 are the only catchup servies i use because they are the only ones on the playstation, its hard to go backwards to watching shows on the computer screen once you know that you can do the same on the big screen. but it is annoying that last time i checked you can’t watch shows like PTTR on the playstation but you can watch it on Yahoo7.
Yahoo7 must be paying ABC handsomely for this because otherwise why would ABC put content on another site which is in competition with iView. And iView IMO is the far superior online platform… and no ads.
LOL ABC gets into bed with yahoo7 you have got a great sense of humor Davd