Time Warner Cable’s TV Everywhere takes a hike

Until recently, TV Everywhere has been one of those oxymorons that also tended more toward flash than substance. An AT&T exec once told me “TV Everywhere is nowhere until it’s anywhere,” pointing out that the “anywhere” at the time meant “in your home.”

But providers have been pushing that ring of availability out a bit, with recent announcements from Comcast and Cablevision that some (very limited) live linear content is now available to watch, well, anywhere, meaning it was finally available via Wi-Fi networks in cafes, airports and elsewhere.

Now, you can add Time Warner Cable—the nation’s second-largest cable provider–to that list of TV (Nearly) Everywhere providers.

The company today announced that it’s making several live linear channels available on iOS devices, as well as a pretty deep catalog of “nearly live” content to its subscribers.

Off the bat, it’s live offerings will include Aspire, BBC America, beIN Sports, (English/Spanish), FearNet, GMC, Pac-12, and TVGuide Network. Bloomberg reported that the Big Ten Network also would be one of the starters for live streaming, but, alas, that network wasn’t part of the list TWC put out.

TWC said a smattering of local news channels also will go live soon, and claimed that the list it offered on its website was “just the beginning of an expanding channel lineup and content library to come.”

The MVPD also has a slew of VOD content available from the likes of BBC America
BET, CBeebies, CMT, Comedy Central, Cooking Channel, DIY, FEARnet, Food Network, Hallmark, HGTV, Logo, MTV, MTV2, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, Palladia, Spike, TeenNick, Travel Channel, Tr3S, TV Guide Network, TV Land, UniMas, Univision, VH1, and VH1 Classic.

TWC launched a brouhaha in March 2011 when it began streaming programs to iOS devices in the home. It was sued by Viacom, but the companies settled, and TWC’s experiment was quickly followed by Cablevision and others.

TV Everywhere is nearly ubiquitous in North America, with nearly 95 percent of pay-TV subscribers having access to it. Surprisingly, according to research, fewer than one-third of pay-TV households with access to it use the product. That could change as it becomes more mobile.

Jim O’Neill is Vice President, New Media at Radi8 Creative. He previously was editor of FierceIPTV and FierceOnlineVideo, and an analyst focusing on new media at Parks Associates.