Time Warner Cable's customers will soon be able to use the Internet to watch sports events, including some that are not available on cable television.
Online access to live ESPN broadcasts will be available for free to Time Warner customers as soon as Oct. 25, just in time for ESPN's online streaming broadcast of a Monday night football contest between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys.
Time Warner will offer two online services: ESPN online, showing the same programs that are broadcast on cable TV, and ESPN3, which has exclusive programming available only online.
The streaming video game can be watched by Time Warner customers who subscribe to ESPN cable programs, which is virtually all Time Warner customers.
ESPN streaming video access is part of last month's contract agreement between the cable giant and the owner of ESPN, The Walt Disney Co., to broadcast Disney-owned programs.
But Time Warner customers had to missed some ESPN3 broadcasts for the past six weeks as the cable company scrambled to design an online authentication program that will grant access to Time Warner customers and block the Internet broadcast for non-customers.
Time Warner said the online authentication program is unprecedented in size and scope.
The rapid development of online videos and online movies is presenting an existential challenge to the cable television industry. The communications companies are trying to find ways to offer online programs to their customers without undermining their subscription-based business model.
Time Warner said in an announcement that it is "really, really excited" to give its customers access to football games online. Verizon and AT&T already have access to ESPN3's online broadcasts, but Time Warner spokesman Keith Poston said Time Warner will be the first to offer other ESPN programs online.
"It is unprecedented in the amount of new content that will be available online to cable subscribers," Poston said. "You'll be able to access it anywhere -- on the road, at Starbucks, or wherever you access the Internet."
Time Warner has 2.1 million cable, Internet and phone customers in North Carolina, including 830,000 from Raleigh to the coast. ESPN is part of the standard basic and digital packages.
John Murawski has been a full-time newspaper reporter since 1991, with stints at Legal Times and The Chronicle of Philanthropy (both in Washington, DC), The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Palm Beach Post (in South Florida) before arriving at the N&O in December 2004. At the N&O he covers energy (nuclear, coal, renewable, efficiency), hydralic fracturing (or "fracking"), public utilities (both electric and natural gas) and health care. His beat includes Progress Energy, PSNC Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas, PowerSecure International, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Biogen Idec and others. You can reach him at 919-829-8932 or
Comments
Many games or a designated one ????
Mon, 10/18/2010 - 13:18 — AgentPierceWill there be multiple games available each week from across the country ..... or just a designated game in each market ???
Will they not make it
Mon, 10/18/2010 - 23:03 — WhalerCaneWill they not make it available to their Road Runner Customers who do not have cable tv? If so, I am gone.
I believe ESPN3....
Mon, 10/18/2010 - 16:33 — UNC1998plays a slate of games each week from which you can choose. I've never watched it, but am wondering if I can access it through PS3 to show the game on my TV.
Too Little Too Late
Mon, 10/18/2010 - 12:54 — CarolinaJeanieThis is just too little too late. It would have been nice to have had this option this past Saturday to watch the Carolina-Virginia football game. A streak broken, a Dwight Jones breakout game, Hoos leaving before half and all I had was radio and game tracker.
I know this doesn't help
Mon, 10/18/2010 - 15:27 — mpheelsI know this doesn't help much now, but TWC aired the UNC-UVA game on digital channel 520. They did the same with the UNC-ECU game. As a bonus, it was a commercial-free version of the ESPN coverage.