Roku’s platform got a bit more broadcast TV friendly with the launch of WATCH ABC and WATCH ABC Family, which provide a national VOD library to all, and live network streams and next-day VOD access to shows the day after they air to credentialed pay TV customers.
In the case of WATCH ABC, access to its live stream is currently limited to eight O&O ABC markets -- Chicago, Fresno, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Raleigh-Durham and San Francisco, though more markets are expected to join the list in the coming year. WATCH ABC Family’s live stream is available nationwide to subs with pay TV rights. ABC Family is set to change its name to Freeform in January 2016 to better fit the network’s focus on millennial audiences.
Both ABC apps are now supported on Roku players and integrated Roku TVs in the U.S., and stream in shows such as ABC’s Scandal and Quantico, and ABC Family’s Pretty Little Liars and The Fosters.
“The WATCH ABC and WATCH ABC Family channels give viewers nationwide access to full episodes of their favorite shows on demand, Ed Lee, Roku’s VP of content acquisition, noted in this blog post. “Additionally, subscribers of participating pay TV providers have several advantages. They can watch 24-hour live streams of each network, exclusive programming events and the most recent episodes the day after they air.”
WATCH ABC is also supported on iOS and Android mobile devices, Web browsers, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, the Xbox 360, Kindle Fire tablets, and Google’s Chromecast adapter. WATCH ABC Family also supports Web browsers, iOS and Android, and Kindle Fire tablets.
Roku also supports CBS All Access, CBS's new direct-to-consumer subscription service.
