Veoh Adds ABC & ESPN

Veoh Networks has announced it will be distributing full episodes from ABC and short-form online video content from ESPN.com.

Coming through ABC's broadband player, free access to full episodes includes such series as Lost, Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, Jimmy Kimmel Live and Ugly Betty. Veoh expects to offer short-form programming from ABC later in the year through an embedded player. Sports junkies can get highlights of major sports events, clips from ESPN programs, and SportsCenter Right Now from an embedded ESPN video player. 

Enhancements to ABC's online video player will be rolled out this fall, including true full-screen viewing, closed captioning and enhanced navigation and video search capabilities. The deal also enhances ESPN's online reach.  In 2007, ESPN.com served up more than 1.2 billion video views and so far in 2008, fans are watching an average of 121 million videos per month.

Observers wonder what took ABC so long to work out a syndication deal with Veoh; CBS and NBC have been aggressively working on syndication for their properties.

Veoh currently lays claim to aggregating more than 100,000 content publishers, including CBS, Lions Gate, PBS, National Lampoon, Road and Track and US Magazine, and more than 28 million viewers as of late June.

Earlier this month, Veoh landed a new round $30 million in financing lead by Adobe and Intel. The company was one of six companies selected in mid-June by Warner Bros. to distribute TheWB.com.

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- Veoh adding ABC & ESPN shows announcement

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