Among incumbent TV content providers, Time Warner has emerged as the most active in pushing forward the agenda of "anywhere anytime" for Net-delivered video. This week saw two pieces of news from HBO that reinforced this. First, Time Warner's HBO announced online service HBO GO will be available by the end of October on all Roku boxes. More details on the specifics of this deal can be found below.
The other news this week - execs with Time Warner's Warner Bros. said HBO had granted a waiver for WB's UltraViolet-enabled Blu-ray titles for HBO's rights. This could have prevented consumers from accessing online versions of their purchases during HBO's exclusive TV window. As I covered in my TDG Opinion on UltraViolet last week, HBO's exclusive window could put consumers in the annoying and confusing position of "you buy a Blu-ray title, you can stream it, then you can't, then you can." HBO has similar exclusive deals with FOX and Universal, no word on whether they will receive UV waivers as well.
These developments add to a list of recent launches or announcements made by Time Warner companies that are tangible expansions of consumers' ability to access movie and TV content delivered over the Internet. In September, Turner Networks' TBS, TNT and Cartoon Network launched full episode viewing of a broad range of current TV shows (for authenticated subscribers of participating MVPDs) at the networks' web sites via a browser or using apps for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. Turner's CNN and HLN also offer authenticated live streaming.
Overall, Time Warner-owned TV networks are by far the most advanced in launching authenticated streaming from their own web site or apps. This is seen as very important by networks. Their web site or app can reflect the network's and show's unique brand identity, they can cross promote other shows and use social media to reinforce the network/viewer relationship. These things are currently unavailable to them on MVPD video portals.
Time Warner has also been a leader in crossing the Net-to-TV threshold. Industry insiders have told me that for some networks, MVPDs and TV stations the TV is "sacred ground" on which Net-delivered video should not tread. But this week's Roku announcement is one more indication that Time Warner is willing to cross that threshold. HBO GO was a launch partner for Google TV. And last month NewTeeVee reported (confirmed to them by a Turner spokesperson) that TBS and TNT will launch full episode authenticated streaming apps on Google TV. Turner did not indicate when the launch would happen but it's expected to happen when Google launches the big Google TV 2.0 update in the next few weeks (this will include the long-awaited Android Market).
Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes has been the most public advocate of "TV Everywhere" among major content provider executives. He's been on record supporting it since early 2009. It's an indication of the slow going for TV Everywhere that it's taken this long for the strongest supporter to get these product launches to market. Bewkes has probably had to issue some Jean-Luc Picard style "make it so" orders to get things to happen internally (for instance HBO's granting the waiver to WB). And that's what it may take to advance video "anywhere anytime" initiatives at other organizations. Let's hope more C-level executives are willing to sit in the big chair, point their finger forward and say "make it so."
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