Just two days ago, pundits began congratulating Dish on achieving what other companies couldn’t: convincing Disney ABC to offer broadcast and cable channels over the internet as part of an IPTV service. The magic bullet appeared to be Dish’s ad-skipping AutoHop technology, which Dish agreed to disable for the first three days after new Disney shows air. But it appears that Dish’s satellite rival, DirecTV, may also win the right to stream Disney and ABC broadcast and cable television channels. Reuters is reporting that DirecTV and Disney are currently in negotiations for a similar arrangement to Dish, despite the fact that DirecTV doesn’t have a similar commercial-skipping technology to disable.
Like Dish, DirecTV may win the right to offer Disney channels over the internet
is a senior editor and founding member of The Verge who covers gadgets, games, and toys. He spent 15 years editing the likes of CNET, Gizmodo, and Engadget.
While it’s not a done deal by any means, a DirecTV spokesman seemed confident in the arrangement, and suggested that negotiations for the rights were expected as the satellite provider’s contract with Disney expires. We’re curious if Disney’s seeming acceptance of IPTV might mark the beginning of a sea change towards internet-based television, compared to the industry’s seeming reticence towards internet TV services proposed by Intel, Apple, Sony, and other technology providers.
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