Comcast And The Walt Disney Company Announce Long-Term Comprehensive Distribution Agreements Securing Carriage for Disney Media Networks' Products and Services
Comcast And The Walt Disney Company Announce Long-Term Comprehensive Distribution Agreements Securing Carriage for Disney Media Networks' Products and Services
Nov 21, 2006
PHILADELPHIA, PA and BURBANK, CA
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) and The Walt Disney
Company (NYSE: DIS) today announced that they have entered into
long-term comprehensive distribution agreements that will extend their
relationship into the next decade for the 10 ABC-owned broadcast
television stations and a broad array of Disney's leading networks and
services including: Disney Channel, ABC Family, Toon Disney, ESPN,
ESPN2, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPN HD and increased carriage of
SOAPnet. In addition, Comcast will launch ESPN Deportes, a stand-alone
Spanish-language sports network, and the companies formalized their
ESPN2 HD agreement.
In addition, Comcast has acquired The Walt Disney Company's 39.5
percent ownership stake in E! Networks. Following today's acquisition,
E! Networks, which includes E! Entertainment Television and Style
Network, is now wholly owned by Comcast. The purchase price for the
39.5 percent stake was $1.23 billion.
The companies have also agreed to add primetime television
programs, cable network shows and Disney movies to Comcast's signature
ON DEMAND service. Marking the first time ABC broadcast programs will
be available on video on demand (VOD) by any cable company, several
ABC primetime series will be offered free by Comcast in ABC-owned
television station markets. The companies also said they will work
together to make promotional content from the Disney-ABC Television
Group available on Comcast's leading broadband portal,
www.comcast.net.
"This agreement reflects our ability to distribute content on
multiple platforms and signals another first for Comcast and Disney as
we continue to explore the evolving possibilities of digital
technology. We could not have gotten this deal done without Bob Iger's
leadership and vision. Putting Disney, ESPN and ABC's extremely
popular content on Comcast VOD is a watershed event for both of our
companies," said Brian Roberts, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
of Comcast. "This is the first cable on-demand agreement for hit ABC
primetime broadcast programs like Desperate Housewives and Lost and,
when combined with Disney movies and other ABC/Disney/ESPN television
programs, gives Comcast access to the most Disney content available."
Robert A. Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt
Disney Company, commented, "This is one of the broadest distribution
agreements in the history of our company. Disney's great brands and
great content combined with Comcast's leading distribution platforms
provide an incredibly compelling consumer experience in sports,
family, news and entertainment. We look forward to working with Brian
and Steve Burke on a range of future projects as technology continues
to evolve."
Video On Demand includes ABC Network Primetime shows:
ABC Network primetime and ABC News programs will be available free
to Comcast's digital cable customers in the following markets served
by ABC-owned stations: New York (WABC), Philadelphia (WPVI), Chicago
(WLS), San Francisco (KGO), Houston (KTRK), Fresno, CA (KFSN), and
Flint, MI (WJRT). Beginning with the Fall 2007 season, on-demand
episodes of Desperate Housewives, Lost and two new yet-to-be
determined primetime series will be available the day after their
network broadcast to Comcast consumers in the same owned-station
markets. Desperate Housewives and Lost also will be available in HD
VOD for Comcast customers with HD service. Also available in the same
markets will be World News with Charles Gibson, Nightline and This
Week with George Stephanopoulos. Under the agreement, Comcast also
plans to add certain shows from Disney Channel, SOAPnet, Toon Disney
and ESPN libraries to Comcast's ON DEMAND lineup in markets where
those channels are offered.
Video On Demand Movies from Disney, Touchstone and Miramax
Studios:
Under the movie VOD agreement, Comcast Digital Cable customers
will be able to order movies newly released on VOD from Walt Disney
Pictures, Touchstone and Miramax for $3.99 each, while library titles
will be available for $2.99 each. Some of the new release titles
available on Comcast ON DEMAND beginning in 2007 include: Pirates of
the Caribbean 2, The Santa Clause 3, Invincible and The Guardian.
The select television programming and movies from The Walt Disney
Company will join Comcast's growing library of more than 8,000 ON
DEMAND programs per month, including hundreds of hit and classic
movies, music videos and specials, kids' shows, sports highlights,
news and informational programs. With ON DEMAND, customers can play,
fast-forward, rewind, pause and restart their choices as many times as
they want for up to 24 hours after being selected. Comcast customers
have watched more than three billion ON DEMAND programs since 2004,
including one million HD VOD programs since September 2006.
About Comcast
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK)
(http://www.comcast.com) is the nation's leading provider of cable,
entertainment and communications products and services. With 24.1
million cable customers, 11 million high-speed Internet customers, and
2.1 million voice customers, Comcast is principally involved in the
development, management and operation of broadband cable systems and
in the delivery of programming content.
Comcast's content networks and investments include E!
Entertainment Television, Style Network, The Golf Channel, VERSUS, G4,
AZN Television, PBS KIDS Sprout, TV One and four regional Comcast
SportsNets. Comcast also has a majority ownership in Comcast
Spectacor, whose major holdings include the Philadelphia Flyers NHL
hockey team, the Philadelphia 76ers NBA basketball team and two large
multipurpose arenas in Philadelphia.
About The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and
affiliates, is a leading diversified international family
entertainment and media enterprise with four business segments: media
networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment and consumer
products. Disney is a Dow 30 company, had annual revenues of over $34
billion in its most recent fiscal year, and a market capitalization of
$68 billion as of Nov. 20, 2006.
SOURCE: The Walt Disney Company