Our Analysts

How will the new Fall Season shows debut online?

By Wendy Pacheco, Sep 6, 2011

With the new Fall TV season looming, TV junkies will be scouring the internet to find the latest episodes of their favorite shows, and this season’s newest hopefuls.  But the online video landscape may prove different from what these TV fans saw last Spring. 

Among the broadcast networks, FOX has been the latest to put a stake in the ground by demanding that viewers ante up for a pay-TV subscription if they want to see new episodes right away.  In July, the network announced that it will hold new episodes for eight days after their original airdate on both its own site (Fox.com) and the free version of Hulu.  If customers opt for the paid Hulu Plus service, or if they already pay for a Dish Network video package, they will be treated to these new episodes the day after they air on linear TV.  The other broadcast networks have yet to follow suit, but time will tell as the new season approaches.

Cable networks have long been wary of liberally airing their new content online. Turner’s family of networks requires any online viewer to authenticate via a cable, telco-video or satellite TV subscription before they can watch their favorite TBS sitcom or TNT drama.  Discovery Communications has also held back by preventing any of its shows to be viewed as full episodes online.  And critic’s favorite AMC has been gently testing the waters with its series, most recently allowing episodes of Breaking Bad to be viewed online.  However, fans will have to wait and see if episodes of hit show Mad Men will be made available when it premieres in early 2012.

The Fall season promises to bring about much change in the online TV world…and like all TV viewers, we’re eager to see what will happen next.