Time Warner to offer programs on Web, phones

By Jennifer Netherby -- Video Business, 3/3/2009

MARCH 3 | A week after Comcast announced plans to put its cable programming online for subscribers later this year, Time Warner chief Jeff Bewkes announced an industrywide initiative to make content even more available for cable households.

Bewkes told Advertising Age that Time Warner, which split off from Time Warner Cable last week, is pushing “TV Everywhere,” an initiative that would allow cable subscribers to watch TV programs on their PC, mobile phone and other devices, in addition to the TV.

Under the plan, Time Warner programs would be available throughout the Web on sites from Hulu and MySpace to even YouTube. But to watch them, users will have to log in to prove they’re a subscriber through a cable operator or other multichannel distributor.

Bewkes told Ad Age that subscribers wouldn’t have to pay extra to watch HBO, TNT or other Warner-owned channels under the plan.

Bewkes said Time Warner has done some testing of the plan with HBO in Wisconsin. The company expects to do more trials by the end of the year.

TV Everywhere is meant to be an industrywide effort covering cable channels beyond those owned by Time Warner. Under the plan, cable subscribers—whether through Time Warner Cable, Comcast, Verizon Fios, DirectTV or other providers—would be given access to their cable programming online and on other devices.

Time Warner competitors already offer some of their content online for free. Viacom streams programs from Comedy Central and other networks online, and CBS offers some Showtime shows through TV.com. But Ad Age said execs at Viacom, NBC Universal and Discovery said they were interested in the plan.

Last week, Comcast announced its own plans to offer programming to its subscribers online through its Fancast video site, tentatively called OnDemand Online.