The list of content that won't be available on the Google TV just got a lot longer thanks to Viacom. The media giant confirmed Monday that it, too, would block its shows from being accessible from the Google TV Web browser, but left the door open for a future change of heart.
"We’re blocking access to our full episode content from Google TV’s Web browser," Viacom said in a statement sent to PaidContent. "We continue to evaluate Google TV to identify opportunities where it may make sense to optimize our Web content for the platform."
Viacom joins Fox, ABC, CBS, and NBC in blocking Google TV for fear that users might choose to stream those shows over the Internet on-demand instead of watching them the old fashioned way. Google has been trying to assuage the fears of TV execs by insisting that cord-cutting isn't a real phenomenon, but it apparently isn't working. Media companies would rather milk traditional TV's big ad dollars for as long as possible before accepting the less-big ad dollars that the Internet can provide.
In case you were wondering just how much content Viacom can possibly own, the company runs MTV and its 1,024 variations, VH1, BET, Nickelodeon, and Comedy Central, to name a few. If you're a soon-to-be Google TV owner, there will definitely be no Daily Show for you.
reader comments
130