Those of you who have updated to iOS 7 in the past week have no doubt noticed a flurry of app updates. So it was with curiousity as I noticed [adult swim] sent out an update to their iOS app, renaming it to Watch [adult swim].
Then we get news today that as of immediately, Adult Swim will be live streaming their programming from adultswim.com and their mobile apps. The only catch? You have to verify your cable subscription to get all the goodies. While this move is not unprecedented (several other networks offer similar services: HBO Go, ESPN, Disney Channel, etc) this is a big deal for many of us who are [as] afficianados.
And not to worry– those of us who used [adult swim] to play games like Robot Unicorn Attack, 5 Minutes to Kill [Yourself], or my new current favorite, Giant Boulder of Death can still access those. In fact, Adult Swim will be continuing to provide online-exclusive content from the comedy geniuses most likely to give you a seizure Tim and Eric, but also folks from The Onion and elsewhere.
The only downside is if you are like many people who are Netflix and Hulu only, you can’t access every episode of The Venture Brothers at your fingertips or watch new episodes of NTSF:SD:SUV as they premiere. Time to talk to grandma who has cable but no idea what an iPad is, eh?
But we can only hope this takes us further down the inexorable path to being able to choose cable content a la carte and not necessarily tied to a cable company or set top box, but simply access to an app you run through your Smart TV at home or tablet on the go. But don’t get your hopes up– remember that [adult swim[ is still owned by Time Warner, one of whose most profitable companies is Time Warner Cable.
But a boy can dream.
Look! A press release! Read the official technical stuff straight from the horse’s mouth.
For Release: September 25, 2013
Adult Swim Announces Live Streaming Across All Platforms
New Watch [adult swim] Initiative Expands TV Everywhere StrategyAdult Swim, basic cable television’s #1 network in Total Day for the past eight consecutive years among adults 18-34, 18-49 & 18-24 and men 18-34, 18-49 and 18-24, today launched live streaming functionality on AdultSwim.com and via the Watch [adult swim] app on iOS and Android devices. The launch marks yet another step in Adult Swim’s expansion across multiple platforms as it continues to be one of the industry’s most innovative comedy brands.
TV subscribers may now enjoy Adult Swim programming such as the Emmy Award-winning series Childrens Hospital and Robot Chicken in real time wherever they like on any device, adding value to the official site, which ranks among the top five video sites in the humor category, and the popular Watch [adult swim] app which has nearly four million downloads to date. To watch the live streams, viewers will be required to log in using their TV-provider account information.
Live streaming is the newest addition to Adult Swim’s digital portfolio, joining AdultSwim.com’s original and exclusive online comedy content (which includes work from Tim Heidecker & Eric Wareheim and some of the original creative members from The Onion), their top-performing mobile games business that has had 22 iOS apps reaching the App Store’s top 10, a growing slate of independent games published on Steam, and more than 130 free online games.
This is the latest phase in the rollout of TV Everywhere, the industry-wide initiative that gives subscribers to cable, satellite and telco video services access to more of their favorite shows across a wide range of digital platforms.
Adult Swim Digital oversees the management and production of content for the channel’s official site, AdultSwim.com, and digital extensions. A top industry website, AdultSwim.com averages 3.6 million unique users each month in the United States and features more than 130 free-to-play original online games, including top titles such as Robot Unicorn Attack and Amateur Surgeon. Adult Swim has launched 36 apps in the iTunes store, which have ranked in the Top Free Apps, Top 5 Paid Apps and Top 5 Paid Games categories.
Adult Swim (AdultSwim.com), launched in 2001, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s network offering original and acquired animated and live-action series for young adults. Airing nightly from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. (ET/PT), Adult Swim is basic cable’s #1 network with persons 18-34 and 18-49, and is seen in 99 million U.S. homes.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.