Google Fiber strikes distribution deal with Disney
Google is ready for some “Monday Night Football.”
Walt Disney Co. has struck a distribution deal with Google Fiber to add its cable networks, including ESPN, ABC Family and Disney Channel, to the new broadband pay-TV service the search-engine giant is launching in the Midwest.
For Google, getting the Disney properties will be key to competing against Time Warner Cable and satellite broadcasters DirecTV and Dish. Google Fiber is being unveiled in Kansas City, Mo., and Kansas City, Kan. In both cities, Time Warner Cable is the major multichannel video program distributor.
Besides the ESPN franchise and Disney Channel, other networks Google will be carrying include ABC News Now and Disney XD, a kids channel aimed at boys.
-- By Joe Flint, Los Angeles Times