With traditional network television viewership continuing to plummet, ABC is the first network to make live content available to mobile users on a full-time basis via the new Watch ABC mobile application.

Mobile users are increasingly consuming a variety of content from their mobile devices, including full-length TV shows and movies. While ABC is the first network to move ahead with a live streaming service, others are expected to follow.

?Content owners and broadcasters are now taking more ownership of video delivery to consumers leveraging IP systems ? a role historically always owned by cable MSOs, satellite distributors, etc.,? said Sam Rosen, Scottsdale, AZ-based practice director for TV, video and consumer electronics at ABI Research.

?This will reduce the barriers to becoming an operator and open up opportunities for mobile carriers to compete in Pay TV services against incumbent offerings,? he said.

?Mobile devices will continue to replace additional screens in the home and will in some cases replace set-top boxes - using mirroring technologies such as Airplay and Miracast. Mobile networks will augment distribution for truly mobile viewing scenarios, although Wi-Fi and fixed networks will always represent a large portion of mobile video.?

Network ratings plummet
The launch of the Watch ABC service follows reports of just how bad the 2012-13 season has been so far for networks, with ratings falling by 17 percent for the highly coveted 18 to 48 year-old demographic compared with a year ago.

The growth in mobile viewing is not solely responsible for the audience losses networks are experiencing. There are other factors at work here, including a surge in cable TV viewership and the general trend toward consumers increasingly spending time across a variety of screens, including desktop.

While much cable programming is already available live online, to date, most of the network TV programming available online and via apps has been on-demand content.

Following months of rumors that ABC would introduce a live-streaming service, the new Watch ABC service will make its debut today and will be available to all viewers in the New York City area via WABC-TV and in Philadelphia via WPVI as a part of an open access preview that will run through the end of June.

On-the-go viewing
The idea behind Watch ABC is to give viewers more ways to watch while they are at home or on the go.

Users will have live access to ABC TV shows as well as local market programming. Additionally, they will be able to access on-demand content that has until now been available via the ABC Full-Episode Player for desktop and the ABC Player app for mobile devices.

Viewers will be able to access Watch ABC via apps for iOS and Kindle Fire devices. They will also be also to access it online at ABC.com.

The Watch ABC app will be available on Samsung Galaxy devices beginning this summer.

Following the open access preview, Watch ABC will continue to be available in NYC and Philadelphia to paying subscribers of cable and satellite providers.

It will roll out over the summer to the six station markets owned by ABC: Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Houston, Raleigh-Durham and Fresno.

ABC has also reached an agreement with Hearst Television to launch the live streaming service in its 13 ABC station markets, including Boston, Pittsburgh, Kansas City and Milwaukee.

ABC will work with affiliates in other markets to revamp their agreements to make way for the live streaming service.

TV everywhere
Disney, which owns ABC has previously launched live streaming services for its cable TV programming on the Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney Junior as well as for ESPN. A Watch ABC Family service is expected to roll out next year.

The biggest challenge ABC is likely to face with this strategy will be business related, as it may need to seek new rights agreements for mobile distribution.

Another challenge will be putting advertising on the platform as distributors generally own a certain number of advertising slots, so advertising platforms must be flexible and take into the needs of different stakeholders.

?The step to offer live streaming in an authenticated, TV-Everywhere App is a logical next-move in the broadcaster?s repositioning in an on-demand and mobile world,? Mr. Rosen said. ?The decision to couple it with authenticated viewing for traditional Pay TV subscribers fits in with the overall desire to preserve existing Pay TV dynamics within the US.

?Live TV continues to have a unique value - both live first-run content as well as news and sporting events,? he said. ?To-date, most live offerings have been delivered in the home via a dedicated system owned by the Pay TV distributor - i.e., Cable MSO such as Comcast or IPTV provider such as Verizon FiOS - or using the in-home set-top box - Sling, Comcast gateway - to transfer the content to a mobile device.

?This approach transmits from a central ABC-owned server, more like other TV Everywhere video-on-demand (VoD) offerings.?

Final Take
Chantal Tode is associate editor on Mobile Marketer, New York