ABC Television hits “Lost” and “Desperate Housewives” will be made available via Comcast Corp.’s video-on-demand service in select markets under a new agreement reached between Comcast and the Walt Disney Co. It is the first time ABC programming has been made available via video-on-demand by a cable company. The service begins in the fall of 2007 and includes two other ABC shows to be determined. The shows will be made available through Comcast’s On Demand service the day after their broadcast television viewings. The long-term agreement between Disney and Comcast also includes continued cable distribution of programming from the Disney Channel, Toon Disney, SOAPnet, and five ESPN channels. Walt Disney Company President and Chief Executive Officer Robert A. Iger called the agreement one of the broadest in the history of the company. “Disney’s great brands and great content combined with Comcast’s leading distribution platforms provide an incredibly compelling consumer experience in sports, family, news and entertainment,” Iger said. The agreement also included Comcast purchasing Disney’s 39.5 percent ownership stake in E! Networks for $1.23 billion.
