Desperate Housewives
on demand

After Disney CEO Robert Iger's initial announcement that Disney would begin streaming its popular shows, like Lost and Desperate Housewives, on the web for free, Comcast saw a huge opportunity for its video-on-demand (VOD) content, including online.

The two companies signed an agreement, announced on Nov. 21, covering a broad range of rights, including Comcast's ability to use some ABC shows for its massive VOD effort as well as broadband. In the coming weeks Comcast is expected to announce a new TV portal, code-named C-TV, according to Business Week (via paidContent). Down the road, the two companies may work more closely together to provide ABC, Disney Channel, and other kinds of programs for the portal as well, according to sources at both companies.

And later on, Disney is expected to help Comcast test the notion of showing movies on demand at the same time they are available on DVD in stores—effectively shortening the lag time before cable gets access to those films.

The deal almost immediately makes Comcast an even bigger power in the VOD world, with more than 8,000 programs available each month - and 1 million served up in just the last three months.