The National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC) and The Walt Disney Company today announced a comprehensive multi-year distribution agreement to deliver Disney’s robust lineup of top quality sports, news and entertainment content to participating NCTC members’ customers across TVs, computers, smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles and connected devices. The cable co-op serves nearly 1,000 member companies across the United States.
“NCTC is pleased to again offer our members access to top-tier sports and family channels under our new agreement with Disney & ESPN Networks Group. The addition of the SEC Network, Longhorn Network and digital platform rights helps strengthen the long-term partnership and enhances the value the agreement brings to members,” commented Judy Meyka, Executive Vice President of Programming, NCTC.
“Customers of the NCTC member companies will benefit greatly from this latest renewal deal,” added David Preschlack, Executive Vice President, Affiliate Sales and Marketing, Disney & ESPN Networks Group. “Not only will they continue to receive the great content across our networks, but also the added value of accessing that content on digital platforms with our WATCH products, choosing when to watch them with video-on-demand services and a lineup of new channels including Fusion, the upcoming SEC Network launching on August 14, Longhorn Network, ESPN Goal Line, ESPN Buzzer Beater and ESPN Bases Loaded.”
As part of the new multi-year deal, the NCTC will introduce several new services, including the full suite of authenticated WATCH and video-on-demand products, Fusion, the upcoming SEC Network at launch on August 14, Longhorn Network beginning with the 2014-15 college football season, ESPN Goal Line, ESPN Buzzer Beater and ESPN Bases Loaded. Services that will continue to be covered by the broad scope of this agreement include: ABC Family, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN Deportes, ESPNEWS, ESPN Classic and ESPN3.
Participating NCTC members’ customers will receive broad access to existing authenticated products like WATCH ABC authenticated on-demand content, WATCH ABC Family, WATCH Disney Channel, WATCH Disney Junior, WATCH Disney XD and WatchESPN (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNU, ESPN Deportes, ESPNEWS, ESPN Goal Line, ESPN Buzzer Beater and ESPN Bases Loaded) through the networks’ own WATCH sites and apps. These products will give customers more opportunities to access live and video-on-demand content, both in-home and out-of-home, on their computers, smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles and connected devices.