The Boston Business Journal is reporting Boston ABC affiliate WCVB has plans to launch a live streaming app.
The BBJ sat down with Bill Fine, president and GM of WCVB, who said his station is working on being the first one in the Boston market with an app that will live stream all the shows viewers watch on WCVB.
The Watch WCVB app: Like many other stations, WCVB already offers a live-stream of its newscasts. But plans are in the works to launch an app early this year to essentially allow for free, around-the-clock viewing on a smart phone or tablet. (While the app is geared for mobile users, the live streaming will also be available on a PC.) He says WCVB is the only Boston station that has disclosed plans so far to stream 24 hours a day.
AdvertisementThere’s no firm date for the launch yet. Fine says that there’s been a lot of work on Hearst’s part to make deals with the cable and satellite TV companies to authenticate the users and develop the technology to ensure they get a top-notch experience.
Fine won’t disclose the ad sales model that WCVB plans to use. But the station does have the technology to “split the stream” — that is, it could sell ads to an app-only audience at a different price than it might to its overall broadcast audience. Some, or all of the ads that air on WCVB could be substituted with ads geared for the live-stream viewers.