Lost will be streamed on Veoh
Still trying to find that episode you’ve missed out on the last time Lost aired? Aside from watching it on the official site, there is a new alternative. According to the New York Times, ABC has just struck a deal with online video streaming site Veoh and soon, videos of Lost, as well as Desperate Housewives and Ugly Betty will be legally available on their site.
Like YouTube, Veoh features short, user-submitted video clips. But lately it has also mixed in material from large media companies like CBS, Viacom’s MTV Networks and USA Network. Veoh Networks, based in Los Angeles, is backed by the former Disney chief executive Michael D. Eisner, along with other private investors.
The deal with Veoh is ABC’s second agreement to stream free, advertising-supported shows on a Web site other than its own or its broadcast affiliates’. Last fall, it struck a similar deal with AOL. Though it is not disclosing financial arrangements of the Veoh deal, ABC said it was paying Veoh for the traffic driven to its programs and commercials, which ensures Veoh will heavily promote ABC’s offerings on its home page.
“These types of partnerships allow us to reach our fans and viewers in a much deeper and more meaningful way,” said Matt Murphy, the senior vice president for digital media distribution at Disney and ESPN Media Networks.
Mr. Murphy said the company was considering other distribution deals with sites like YouTube and Hulu. “This is a world where you have to constantly re-evaluate your business and constantly look at partners and how they are running their businesses,” he said.
Watching episodes online has such strong demands right now and networks are already recognizing that this isn’t a trend that will soon go away. It’s going to be shape how people will be viewing TV shows in the future, which is why TV networks are tying up with online media companies to tap into the growing market of online viewers.
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