Verizon FiOS TV expands video on demand

(File photo of Desperate Housewives stars: Ron Tom/ABC)

Verizon Communications Inc. said it is joining with Disney-ABC Television Group to make ABC’s video-on-demand (VOD) offering available to Verizon FiOS TV customers across the country, including in Massachusetts.

Verizon said in a press release: "Customers can watch episodes of popular ABC series like 'Desperate Housewives,' 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'Lost,' 'Samantha Who?' and 'Ugly Betty' (right) – just one day after their broadcast premieres. All the episodes are offered at no charge and in high definition (HD)."

Terry Denson, a FiOS TV vice president, added in a statement: “The new HD programming from ABC helps bring us even closer to our promise to offer FiOS TV customers access to more than 1,000 HD video-on-demand titles every month by year-end.”

Verizon said that ABC’s new content joins Verizon FiOS TV’s VOD library, which offers more than 11,000 titles per month, 70 percent of which are free.

Roughly 85 Massachusetts communities either already have FiOS TV service available or have approved it for imminent availability, Verizon has said. Earlier this month, officials in Grafton and Weston granted cable franchises to FiOS TV.

Headquartered in New York, Verizon delivers broadband and other wireline and wireless services to mass market, business, government, and wholesale customers.
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)