ABC AND WARNER BROS. TELEVISION GROUP ANNOUNCE
UNPRECEDENTED STACKING RIGHTS DEAL
FOR SERIES DEBUTING IN 2016-17 AND 2017-18 SEASONS
Disney|ABC Television Group’s ABC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television Group have announced an unprecedented stacking rights deal for series produced by WBTVG for the 2016-17 and 2017-18 television broadcast seasons.
Under the terms of the new deal, ABC may offer all episodes, rather than the current practice of trailing five in-season episodes, of any Warner Bros. series launched in the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons on a variety of video-on-demand platforms. Warner Bros. will have end-of-season SVOD rights and early syndication rights as well as day-after EST and early DVD rights.
Viewers now have previously unavailable full season catch-up flexibility to enjoy and binge on their favorite network series as well as to discover new series across a variety of platforms and devices.
“This is a real win for network television viewers,” said Jana Winograde, executive vice president, Business Operations, ABC Entertainment. “Giving our audience even more opportunities to catch up on their favorite shows in their entirety, on demand, only enhances their loyalty to and engagement with ABC and our series.”
“Along with our partners at ABC, we’re pleased to offer viewers the convenience to discover and watch our shows on their own schedule and on the screen they choose,” said Craig Hunegs, president, Business and Strategy, Warner Bros. Television Group. “For our studio, the more people watch our shows, the more valuable they become for us over the long run.”
About ABC
Providing broadcast programming to more than 200 affiliated stations across the U.S., the ABC Television Network is home to popular dramas “Scandal,” “How To Get Away With Murder,” and “Grey’s Anatomy”; comedy favorites “Modern Family,” “The Goldbergs,” and “Blackish”; reality phenomenon “Shark Tank” and long-running hit “Dancing with the Stars”; “General Hospital”; daytime talk shows “The View” and “The Chew”; and “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” The network also boasts some of television’s most prestigious awards shows, including The Academy Awards®, the Country Music Awards, The American Music Awards, and The Billboard Music Awards.
About Warner Bros. Television Group
The Warner Bros. Television Group oversees and grows the entire portfolio of Warner Bros.’ television businesses, including worldwide production, traditional and digital distribution, and broadcasting. In the traditional TV arena, WBTVG produces primetime, first-run, cable and animated series, with more than 70 programs on the air during the 2015-16 television season.
