Dish is trading ad-skipping for Internet TV.
Dish cofounder Charlie Ergen has secured deals to broadcast Walt Disney Co.’s Disney Channel, ABC, and ESPN online, Bloomberg reports. This deal came out of negotiations to limit AdHop, Dish’s ad-skipping service, which Walt Disney Co. and others took to court last year.
Dish is not alone in its search for online broadcasting deals, known in the industry as over-the-top (OTT) deals. Verizon, Intel, Sony, and Apple have all tried to secure contracts to distribute content online — going around traditional satellite and cable TV providers. Content providers have in the past proved impossible to work with, but Dish has leverage: ad revenue.
Because users wouldn’t need to buy any new hardware to access the new Dish offering, Bloomberg’s sources claim this bundled OTT service could cost users just $20-$30 per month.
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Unfortunately, if you’re itching to try the service, it won’t be available any time soon. Dish’s chief commercial officer Dave Shull says it’s too early to speculate on when it might be introduced — the company needs to secure significantly more contracts to launch.