Time Warner Cable, Viacom Settle Dispute Over Mobile Viewing

16 May, 2012 By: Erik Gruenwedel

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Time Warner Cable and Viacom May 16 have settled — in part — pending litigation surrounding retransmission of Viacom programming on the No. 2 cable operator’s Web-based video app for the iPad, iPhone, tablets and related Android-based devices.

Viacom sued TWC last year after the cable operator said it planned to make available programming such as MTV’s “Jersey Shore” and Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” among others, available to subscribers on portable devices.

“That’s very good news for consumers,” Viacom’s Mark Jafar said on the media company’s blog.

The settlement involves in-home viewing on portable devices and does not include so-called TV Everywhere platforms that allow authenticated cable channel subscribers to watch repurposed programs on-demand on any CE device anywhere.

The issue, of course, involves monies paid by cable and satellite TV operators to media companies to broadcast programming. Pay-TV operators say ubiquitous access to content is key to luring and retaining subscribers from opting for lower-cost options such as SVOD services spearheaded by Netflix.

In reaching the settlement agreement, Time Warner Cable and Viacom were also able to resolve other unrelated business matters to their mutual satisfaction, according to a statement disclosed on the blog.  

“Neither side is conceding its original legal position or will have further comment,” the two companies said.

Viacom programming will be rolled out on TWC’s app throughout the next several weeks.

Last August, Viacom settled a similar dispute with Cablevision over the latter’s TV Everywhere app.

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