Cutting the Cord: Networks tune into TV Everywhere

Mike Snider | USA TODAY

Each of the major TV networks have embraced letting viewers watch TV on the go — to a certain extent.

This month, NBC became the latest to expand its offering of TV Everywhere — the ability to watch programs on smartphones and tablets, as well as computers — with new apps that include live broadcasts in cities with NBC-owned stations. An on-demand library lets you catch up on shows you may have missed, too.

The catch: You may have to enter a user ID and password from your cable, satellite or telco-delivered pay-TV subscription.

NBC is not alone in that requirement. Most Net-delivered network apps require some authentication.

Networks don't do it just to protect the pay-TV model, says Richard Doherty of the Envisioneering Group. "It's really for audience measurement," he says, to help networks better understand viewing behavior as TV Everywhere evolves.

Networks are working on business models that reward viewers who share clips and could even someday cancel a show mid-episode from lack of viewers, Doherty predicts. TV Everywhere, he says, "is big, and it's going to get bigger."

A look at TV Everywhere:

•ABC. Pay-TV subscribers can get a jump on watching episodes of the networks's shows such as Scandal and Nashville on ABC.com and its apps on Android, iOS and Amazon Kindle. Click "Verify," and you can watch the most recent episode the day after it airs. Non-authenticators have to wait a week to see the latest episode. All viewers get some ads.

ABC has live broadcast feeds in eight cities, including Chicago, Houston, L.A., New York City, Philadelphia and San Francisco. There's a separate ABC News app (on Android, Apple TV, iOS and Xbox One), as well as ABCNews.com.

•CBS. The CBS All Access service ($5.99 monthly), which launched four months ago, sets it apart from the competition. Subscribers get full current seasons of 15 prime-time shows such as NCIS, as well as access to the latest episodes the day after they air on the mobile app for Amazon Kindle, Android, Blackberry, iOS and Windows. You still see some ads.

Other CBS All Access benefits: live broadcast feeds in 14 cities, including Boston, Chicago, New York City, L.A., Minneapolis and Sacramento, plus full past seasons of eight major current series, including The Good Wife and more than 5,000 episodes of classic series such as MacGyver and Star Trek. Not available live: Sunday NFL broadcasts.

You do not need to authenticate with pay-TV credentials, Non-subscribers can watch the last five episodes of prime-time shows, and the most recent episodes the day after they air on CBS.com and on CBS's mobile app with an eight-day delay.

Another CBS differentiator: its free CBSN 24/7 news service on CBSNews.com (on computers and mobile) and on connected TV devices, including Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku players and Roku TVs, Windows 8/8.1 computers and phones, and the CBS News apps for iOS (coming soon to Android).

•Fox. Fox's prime-time shows such as American Idol and Family Guy are available on Fox.com and on the Fox Now app (Amazon Kindle, Android, Apple TV, iOS devices, Roku, Windows 8 and Xbox video game systems). But if you want to watch episodes the day after they are broadcast -- and watch more episodes -- you do need to log in.

For instance, you must sign in on Fox Now with your pay-TV credentials to watch series such as American Idol, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Glee. But most first-year series such as Empire and Gotham are available without logging in. The number of episodes available of a series can vary, but typically, there are at least five. Once logged in, you'll have access to full seasons of many of the current series.

Fox has a Fox Sports Go app that, when you sign in, lets you watch sports events available via your pay-TV service. NFL games can be watched on computers and tablets but not smartphones. Major League Baseball games on Fox and Fox Sports 1 channels are watchable, but not the games on the Fox regional sports networks.

•NBC. Viewers in 10 cities, including New York, L.A., Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, Dallas-Fort Worth and San Diego can watch the live broadcast of their NBC station. Click the "Live" button on NBC.com or on the NBC app (available in the Google Play and iTunes stores). You will be asked to type in your credentials from your pay-TV provider, among them AT&T, Cox, Dish Network and DirecTV, Verizon, and, of course, Comcast, which owns NBCUniversal.

Beyond that, viewers can watch last night's episodes of shows such as The Voice for free — you do have to watch some ads. There are full recent full episodes and clips from The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon and Late Night With Seth Meyers. There are also full episodes of classic shows such as Battlestar Galactica (the original) and Miami Vice.

"Cutting the Cord" is a regular column covering Net TV and ways to get it. If you have suggestions or questions, contact Mike Snider via e-mail at msnider@usatoday.com. Follow him on Twitter: @MikeSnider.