Disney to offer TV shows for free on Internet

Walt Disney Co's ABC Television will offer some of its most popular shows, such as Desperate Housewives and Lost, for free on the Web.

Walt Disney Co.'s ABC Television will offer some of its most popular shows, such as Desperate Housewives and Lost, for free on the Internet in a two-month trial, the company said on Monday.

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Advertising revenue will support the trial run on ABC.com, with advertisers AT&T Inc., Ford Motor Co., Procter & Gamble Co. and Universal Pictures already signed up.

Commander in Chief and Alias along with Lost and Desperate Housewives will be available on the Web in May and June, starting the day after they are first broadcast.

Viewers will be able to pause and move between "chapters" in an episode but will not be able to skip ads that are technically embedded.

Disney is also launching a high-speed Internet channel for soap opera fans, called Soapnetic on April 17 for subscribers to Verizon Communications Corp.'s Internet services.

Leading U.S. media companies are experimenting with ways to deliver programs via new technologies and still maintain revenue as viewership for their prime-time schedules slowly erodes.

"In the future, consumers will rely more and more on strong brands to help them navigate the digital world, and we have some of the strongest brands in entertainment," said Anne Sweeney, president of the Disney-ABC television group. "Stay tuned ... because this is just the beginning."