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Video PlayersFull, free ABC episodesABC.com offers free, full-length episodes through the websites own video player. A user does not have to sign up for any mailing list; the only request is to download Flash 8 which is also free. ABC.com provides more video to give people a reason to keep coming back. "The quality of ABC's video is simply way better than NBC's in full-screen," says Dan Rayburn, executive VP for online industry Website StreamingMedia.com (Johnston).
Online users can view full episodes of their favorite shows for free. Offering free episodes online is not cannibalistic however. The video player is not meant to be a replacement for watching during primetime hours, but it "provides a solution for someone who hasn't been up to date" (Hanna). Since shows are serialized - shows that build up and continue their storylines from previous weeks - viewers can easily get lost or behind with characters and the storyline. Out of a regular 22 episode season, viewers only watch an average of six episodes per show (John Hanna). ABC.com provides a solution for the viewership retention problem. Instead of only watching six episodes per season, viewers can now stay updated with their favorite program. In lieu of not being cannibalistic, as viewers use the video player, it may persuade customers to purchase the complete season on DVD. As older episodes are replaced by newer ones, the complete season provides another means of viewership retention, and continues interest in a series through the off-season of June through August. "Out
of a 22 episode season, viewers only watch six episodes."
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