Time Warner, Comcast in TV Everywhere Alliance

NEW YORK/PHILADELPHIA: At a press conference in New York this morning, Time Warner announced a partnership with Comcast Corporation that gives the cable giant’s customers online access to a slate of Turner Broadcasting content.

As part of the TV Everywhere initiative, Comcast customers can access programming from Turner Broadcasting’s entertainment networks free online and on demand. In addition, Comcast will begin a national technical trial of its “On Demand Online” service in July, carrying programming from Time Warner’s Turner networks TNT and TBS. Comcast customers in the trial will be able to access The Closer, Saving Grace, Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns and My Boys, among others, initially on Comcast.net and Fancast.com. The content will soon be available on TNT.tv and TBS.com. The On Demand Online technical trial will involve premium long-form content with approximately 5,000 customers. 

The two companies also say that have laid out a framework to bring more TV content online in a way that is "consumer-friendly, pro-competitive and non-exclusive." The principles include that video subscribers be able to watch content from their favorite cable networks online at no additional charge, via a broadband connection. Moreover, that content should be a channel’s best and highest-rated programming. The content should be accessible via high-quality, consumer-friendly sites. The framework also mandates that a new process be created to measure ratings for online viewing. The final principle is that "TV Everywhere is open and non-exclusive."

“TV Everywhere is no longer just a concept, but a working model to deliver consumers more television content over broadband than ever before," said Jeff Bewkes, Time Warner’s chairman and CEO. "We consistently look to make our popular, branded content more accessible to consumers in order to grow our business. This progressive approach to delivering television content online will enable the continued vibrancy and growth of distribution outlets, their content partners and advertising clients.”

Brian L. Roberts, the chairman and CEO of Comcast, added: "Today’s announcement is all about giving our customers exponentially more free content, more choice and more HD programming online as well as on TV. We have been working for a year to bring more TV and movie content to our customers online and we are thrilled that Time Warner is joining us in our national technical trial. Ultimately, our goal is to make TV content available to our customers on all platforms.”

In the coming weeks, Comcast expects other programming networks to participate as the nationwide trial expands. Time Warner expects to announce similar trials with other distributors.