After a successful trial run, the Disney-ABC Television Group said Friday it will bring back streaming video service on ABC.com this fall, offering more full-length episodes of primetime TV shows that fans can watch online for free.

The network said it plans to stream new fall shows as well as returning favorites online via the network’s ad-supported broadband media player. The media player will undergo some minor tweaks, said ABC, but the experience will be very close to what viewers saw during a two-month trial run in May and June. And much to the delight of advertisers, the shows will continue to include interactive commercial breaks that consumers cannot skip.

“It’s an important move. I think if they absolutely want to remain relevant to consumers, networks are increasingly looking at online as the way to go,” said Mike McGuire, vice president of research for consumer services at Gartner.

ABC tested the waters with free streaming video in May and June when it originally launched the broadband player and let viewers stream full-length episodes of Lost, Desperate Housewives, Commander In Chief, and Alias for free. According to the network, the player served more than 5.7 million episode requests, totaling 16 million video streams during the two-month trial.

Albert Cheng, vice president of digital programming for the Disney-ABC Television Group, said the broadband player was a hit with consumers and advertisers, and provided good exposure for ABC’s primetime shows.

“So we said, ‘Gee, why not do it?’” said Mr. Cheng.

Next Day Streamed

When the network relaunches the broadband player this fall, streaming video of some ABC TV shows will be available the day after the shows air on TV. Shows will be available for viewing for up to four weeks, said the network.

Mr. Cheng said the network has not decided which shows it will offer, but the player could be used to give fledgling ABC shows a boost in the competitive fall TV environment.

“If you’re trying to promote a new show, it doesn’t hurt to try to give it additional exposure so someone who missed it can get another shot at it,” said Mr. Cheng. “I think what we’ve seen is that digital media helps shows by allowing people to sample.”

Network Not Alone

ABC is not the only network putting its primetime content online. Apple’s iTunes lets users download shows from a laundry list of broadcast and cable networks for $1.99 per episode—Warner Bros. shows being the most recent addition (see Warner Shows Go on iTunes). And NBC recently signed a deal with YouTube.com to cross-promote its prime time shows (see Now Playing: YouTube, NBC).

Mr. Cheng said ABC will continue its relationship with iTunes, but it does not plan to partner with popular online video sites like Guba or YouTube. Those sites don’t meet ABC’s stringent criteria for licensing its content, including enhancing the image of ABC and providing protection for copyrighted materials.

“Why would we have to do it that way when people can just type in www.abc.com?” said Mr. Cheng.

Contact the writer: AWeinstein@RedHerring.com