ABC’s relaunched streaming service lets you watch ‘Sports Night,’ ‘Ugly Betty’ and more
ABC is looking to give viewers something to stream about. The company is relaunching its streaming service and will include full seasons of 38 older shows and seven original, digital short-form series.
Unlike some of its broadcast competitors, which have launched standalone streaming video services at a separate cost (NBCUniversal’s Seeso and CBS’ All Access), viewers can access the ABC content on ABC.com and the ABC apps for mobile and connected TV devices without signing in with a pay-TV subscription.
The move underscores how established media companies are trying to get a handle on the rising streaming universe that has upended traditional television.
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“Our team has completely reimagined the digital viewing experience for ABC fans,†Karin Gilford, ABC’s senior vice president of digital media, said in a statement. “All of this allows us to expand beyond the bounds of our linear schedule and extend ABC storytelling to viewers across screens and platforms.â€
The library of older series includes “Brothers & Sisters,†“Ellen,†“Felicity,†“My So-Called Life,†“Ugly Betty†and “Sports Night.â€
The short-form digital series include “Boondoggle,†in which “Modern Family’s†Ty Burrell plays a version of himself: an actor who made it big on a TV series. The series follows his character and his best friends as they enjoy the perks of fame. In “All My Gay Friends are Getting Married,†former “The View†co-host Michelle Collins sits down with couples as they recount their journey to happily ever after and relive their wedding ceremonies.
Other short-form series include the comedy “Forever 31,†Tastemade’s “Get Cookin’,†“I Can Find $3,000 in Your Home,†“Newborn Moms†and “On the Record.â€
“We hope this will be an opportunity for our existing talent to flex their creative muscles, and also an opportunity for audiences to discover and champion new emerging content creators,†Samie Falvey, executive VP of comedy and international scripted development at ABC Entertainment, said in a statement.
The digital series were developed in-house by ABC Comedy Development, ABC Daytime and ABC Digital Media. More than 40 additional series are in development and will roll out monthly.
On the heels of Fox announcing its aggressive beta launch of its own live-streaming initiative for its prime-time programming, ABC announced it also has expanded live local streaming to ABC affiliates in 14 Hearst television markets, including Boston (WCVB and WMUR) and Kansas City (KMBC).
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