There comes a time in every broadcast network’s life that it realizes it needs more than simply a major station in nearly every home in America to compete in today’s TV climate, and Fox has hit that time. Broadcast networks have not only been competing with each other and cable networks over the last few years. They’ve had to battle with streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, and now, streaming services targeted at young people, such as Fullscreen, have launched as well. Deadline reports that Fox has launched a new live-streaming platform to play in the sandbox with other streaming services, and its primetime television programming will now be available as a live stream at the same time that the program is airing on television.
As Deadline reports, the initiative starts with tonight’s episode of popular dance competition, So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation. This season features a competition between contestants aged 8 to 13, and tonight’s episode will feature the top ten finalists. The pint-sized dancers will compete in the show airing live on the Fox Network, and it will also live-stream simultaneously tonight at 8-10 PM TV live/PT tape-delayed.
As Deadline reports, the beta version of the new live-streaming service will be available in 210 television markets on Fox.com as well as Fox’s streaming app, Fox Now, which is available for iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire, Apple TV and Google Chromecast. It should be noted that this service is available only to pay-TV subscribers, and is not available without a cable subscription.
Deadline quotes Dana Walden and Gary Newman, Chairmen and CEOs of Fox Television Group saying, “From the start of the on-demand and over-the-top viewing revolution, FOX has been at the forefront of providing greater access to our buzz-defining shows, like Empire, Lucifer, Scream Queens and Family Guy. Adding nationwide primetime live streams is just another great example of how the Fox Digital Consumer Group, under Brian Sullivan’s leadership, is innovating to give viewers the convenience and flexibility to watch our programming whenever and wherever they want.”
Following the premiere of the service tonight, Deadline reports that Fox will continue streaming its primetime programs, including Wayward Pines and Master Chef: Hotel Hell. The service will live-stream programming seven days a week as well as late night on Saturdays.