Viacom Blocks Google TV

NEW YORK: Viacom joins ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX on the roster of broadcast groups that have blocked access to users of Google TV.

Full-length episodes of shows from such Viacom-owned channels as MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and BET are no longer available on the search engine's new Internet TV platform. Internet users can still access Viacom shows on its websites through desktop computers. Users of Google TV, however, are unable to find those Internet shows through the new service.

"We’re blocking access to our full episode content from Google TV’s web browser," the company said in a statement. "We continue to evaluate Google TV to identify opportunities where it may make sense to optimize our web content for the platform."

Fox Joins Broadcasters in Blocking Google TV

NBC, CBS and ABC have already said no to Google TV, and now Fox is making it unanimous.
Fox is the last of the broadcast networks to block episodes of its shows from appearing
on Google's video platform. Google's "footprint was too small."

CBS, ABC Aim to Stop Online TV Site FilmOn

Reuters reports that CBS, ABC, NBC and Fox are asking a federal court to stop the   Internet video service FilmOn from offering TV channels over the web and on   Apple's iPad for free. "I'm not a  thief," says founder Alki David. "We're a bona   fide business. We're not pirates." ABC's 'Dancing' Attracts Tea Party Viewers.

ESPNU Scores More Fans, Via Time Warner Deal

ESPNU, the 2-year-old network launched in response to College Sports Television (CSTV), will double its distribution this month, thanks to a sprawling deal between parent company Disney and Time Warner Cable.

TWC will make the channel available on its digital basic tier to 10 million of its subscribers by Sept. 1, taking ESPNU's availability to 20 million homes in time for football season, when it promises 70 games.

The rollout includes homes in New York by Aug. 30 and Los Angeles by Aug. 31.

ESPNU also stands to gain TWC subscribers quickly, since its deal gives it promised distribution to all TWC customers with digital basic--and more customers from a lower basic tier are upgrading. So far, 68% of TWC's 14.6 million customers have digital basic.

ESPNU's distribution bump is an outgrowth of a broader deal with Disney that gave TWC the rights to carry its owned-and-operated ABC stations and other benefits, such as providing a Disney Channel subscription VOD offering. In exchange, Disney received promises for distribution for a slew of cable channels, including ESPNU. The deal also included a renegotiation of the sub fees TWC would pay Disney for carriage of ESPN and ESPN2.

ESPNU launched in some 3 million homes in 2005.