Our take...
This is the latest in a series of pre-broadcast VoD windows Disney has implemented for its 'superbrand' shows. The studio has previously agreed similar deals with Deutsche Telekom for its Videoload service in January 2009 and with TF1 for its TF1 Vision service in France in August 2007.

By making subtitled versions of shows available to download on a digital rental basis before they are broadcast on local TV channels, Disney aims to combat illegal downloading and streaming of its shows in the window between US and local transmission. Attaching a premium to the pre-broadcast window also creates a potentially incremental revenue stream. However, the benefits of the strategy must be weighed against its impact on existing revenue streams as it could antagonise traditional distribution partners. It is interesting to note that Disney has not negotiated an equivalent deal in the UK – episodes will not be available in the UK iTS until the morning after they have aired on Sky 1.