Disney Launching ABC Affiliate TVE Offering With Hearst, Playstation Vue

Disney/ABC TV Group is launching an affiliate initiative, Clearinghouse, aimed at helping affiliates with distribution of new services on TV Everywhere platforms and over-the-top providers, the company said Monday during the 2016 NAB Show. It said Clearinghouse will give affiliates the ability to opt in to pre-negotiated agreements for distribution of their live, linear feeds and potential ability for placement for local VOD distribution. Disney/ABC said it will roll out Clearinghouse in coming months, starting with DirecTV via the Watch ABC TV Everywhere service and with Sony Playstation Vue, with those deals being templates for future Clearinghouse offerings. Hearst TV will pilot the DirecTV Clearinghouse affiliate opt-in with its 14 local ABC stations with the rollout of Watch ABC TV Everywhere this summer, Disney/ABC said.