NBC Now Streaming Live Via App, But Only In Certain Markets

Unless you live in a market with an NBC owned-and-operated local affiliate, you won’t be able to watch the live stream.

Years after other ABC opened up its live network feed to online streaming, NBC is finally allowing people to access its shows live online via the network’s Android and iOS app — but only in certain markets and with the now-common requirement of having a pay-TV subscription.

In order to access the NBC live-stream, you have to be in a market where the local NBC affiliate is owned and operated by the network. So here in Philadelphia I’m in luck because WCAU is owned by NBC Universal, but out in Pittsburgh it’s a different story as NBC affiliate WPXI is owned by the Cox Media Group.

The owned-and-operated requirement means that only people in 10 markets — NYC, Philly, the Bay Area, South Florida, Connecticut, D.C., San Diego, L.A., Dallas/Fort Worth, and Chicago — can currently access the live stream on the apps.

And cord-cutters in any market are shut out as watching the live stream will require users to log in via a pay-TV provider. This has become standard practice for networks who don’t want people replacing their cable TV packages with streaming video.

[via Engadget]

by Chris Morran via Consumerist