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American Broadcasting Company

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American Broadcasting Company
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryBroadcasting, television, radio
Founded1943; 83 years ago (1943)
FounderEdward J. Noble
Headquarters
Burbank, California
,
United States
Area served
United States and territories, parts of Canada via affiliates
ProductsTelevision and radio broadcasting, programming
OwnerThe Walt Disney Company (Disney Entertainment segment)
ParentThe Walt Disney Company
Websiteabc.com

The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) stands as a prominent commercial television and radio network in the United States, serving as the primary network within the Disney Entertainment segment of the Walt Disney Company. Its main headquarters are situated in Burbank, California, close to Walt Disney Studios, while additional offices located at 7 Hudson Square in Manhattan house its broadcast operations and the headquarters of ABC News. Since divesting ABC Radio in 2007, the company has concentrated largely on television broadcasting. As the youngest member among the "Big Three" American networks, ABC is commonly referred to as the Alphabet Network.

Established in 1943 by Edward J. Noble as a successor to the NBC Blue Network, ABC ventured into television broadcasting in 1948, entering competition with established networks such as CBS and NBC. During the mid-1950s, ABC merged with United Paramount Theatres (UPT), under Leonard Goldenson’s leadership, who enhanced profitability through the creation of popular TV shows. The 1980s brought significant developments, including ABC’s corporate parent acquiring an 80% share in the cable sports channel ESPN, followed by a merger with Capital Cities Communications that resulted in Capital Cities/ABC Inc., which was subsequently purchased by Disney in 1996.

Currently, ABC maintains ownership of eight stations and partners with over 230 affiliates throughout the United States and its territories. Some affiliates reach Canadian audiences through pay-TV services or over-the-air signals near border areas, subject to Canadian regulations that protect domestic broadcasters. ABC News continues to provide news programming to certain former ABC Radio stations now under Cumulus Media ownership.

History

The origins of ABC trace back to 1927 when NBC operated the NBC Blue Network, which evolved into an independent entity known as the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in 1943. Subsequently, ABC merged with United Paramount Theatres, forming American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres, later renamed American Broadcasting Companies, Inc.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, ABC expanded its presence in both radio and television markets. In 1982, it acquired ESPN, and in 1986 merged with Capital Cities to establish Capital Cities/ABC. This entity was then acquired by the Walt Disney Company in 1996, broadening its global reach and market influence.

Programming

ABC offers roughly 89 hours of network programming weekly, which includes 22 hours of prime-time content airing from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday (Eastern and Pacific Time zones) and from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Sundays.

Daytime shows are broadcast from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on weekdays (Eastern and Pacific), featuring talk and lifestyle programs such as The View and GMA3: What You Need to Know, alongside the soap opera General Hospital. News programming from ABC includes Good Morning America on weekdays and Saturdays; nightly broadcasts of ABC World News Tonight; the Sunday political discussion program This Week; early morning news shows World News Now and America This Morning; as well as the late-night newsmagazine Nightline. Late-night entertainment features Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

Weekend morning children’s programming is produced by syndicator Litton Entertainment, which supplies Litton's Weekend Adventure, distributed exclusively to ABC’s owned-and-operated stations and affiliates.

Daytime

ABC's daytime schedule features programs such as The View, GMA3, and the enduring soap opera General Hospital, which first aired in 1963.

Among its former prominent soap operas are All My Children (1970–2011), One Life to Live (1968–2012), along with titles like Ryan's Hope and Dark Shadows. The network has also presented a variety of game shows, including The Dating Game, The Newlywed Game, Let's Make a Deal, Password, and Family Feud, contributing to a broad range of daytime programming.

Sports

ABC’s sports content, mainly broadcast on weekends, underwent a transformation in 2006 when its sports division was dissolved and coverage began airing under the ESPN on ABC banner, aligning with Disney’s emphasis on ESPN properties. Since 2020, ESPN has increasingly utilized ABC for sports broadcasts, including select simulcasts and exclusive rights to Monday Night Football contests.

Annually, ABC broadcasts no fewer than ten weeks of prime time sports and, from September through May, airs sports events nearly every week. The network holds rights to major professional leagues: the NBA (branded as NBA on ESPN), showcasing Christmas Day games, weekend matchups, playoff rounds, and the NBA Finals; and the NHL (under NHL on ESPN), covering regular season games, the All-Star Game, Stadium Series, and Stanley Cup Finals. College football is also featured with doubleheaders and Saturday Night Football prime time games during the NCAA season.

As an additional broadcast partner for Major League Baseball, ABC telecasts selected wild card series games and some Sunday Night Baseball matchups via ESPN. Since the 2015 NFL season, ABC has simulcast or exclusively aired NFL games, making it unique among major broadcast networks for simultaneously carrying all four leading professional leagues (MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL).

Other sports programming includes weekend men's and women's college basketball during late winter and spring/summer WNBA coverage. ABC also airs events such as the X Games and the Little League World Series.

In 2015, the ESPY Awards transitioned from ESPN to ABC, resulting in significantly increased viewership following notable moments like Caitlyn Jenner’s receipt of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award.

Under Disney’s renewed NFL agreement, ABC is slated to broadcast Super Bowl LXI in 2027 and Super Bowl LXV in 2031; its most recent Super Bowl telecast was XL in 2006.

Specials

ABC holds broadcasting rights for major award ceremonies including the Academy Awards, Primetime Emmy Awards, and Country Music Association Awards, alongside related events such as the CMA Music Festival and CMA Country Christmas. The network also aired the Miss America pageant intermittently between 1954 and 2018.

From February 2001 until February 14, 2020, ABC held television rights to most Peanuts holiday specials after acquiring them from CBS. This lineup included annual broadcasts of classics like A Charlie Brown Christmas. Additionally, ABC presents the yearly Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade on Christmas morning.

Since 1974, ABC has predominantly aired Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, a widely viewed New Year’s Eve program featuring musical performances and Times Square festivities. The sole exception occurred in 1999 when ABC broadcasted ABC 2000 Today, a global millennium celebration hosted by Peter Jennings. The network also televises the Tournament of Roses Parade, while the related Rose Bowl Game is now exclusively shown on ESPN.

Programming library

Since the 1970s, ABC has retained ownership of nearly all its internally produced television and theatrical content, with exceptions including some joint ventures such as The Commish. The global video distribution rights are controlled by multiple entities; for instance, Kino Lorber holds the North American home video rights for ABC's feature film catalog, which encompasses select Disney titles from Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures, and 20th Century Studios.

In response to the FCC's 1970 Financial Interest and Syndication Rules, ABC established Worldvision Enterprises for syndication and ABC Circle Films for production purposes. Broadcast rights created before 1973 were assigned to Worldvision, which became an independent company in that year. Worldvision was later purchased by Paramount Television in 1999 and is currently integrated into CBS Media Ventures, a subdivision of Paramount Global. Parts of this library, including the Ruby-Spears and Hanna-Barbera collections, were divested to Turner Broadcasting System (now part of Warner Bros. Discovery) in 1991. After Disney's acquisition of ABC in 1996, ABC Circle Films was merged into Touchstone Television, which was rebranded as ABC Studios in 2007.

The collection also features the majority of films from the David O. Selznick archive along with productions from former ABC film divisions such as ABC Pictures International, Selmur Productions, and Palomar Pictures International. Presently produced in-house content includes America's Funniest Home Videos, General Hospital, programming from ABC News, and series developed by Disney Television Studios subsidiaries (ABC Signature and 20th Television). Domestic distribution responsibilities fall under Disney–ABC Domestic Television, while international markets are served by Disney–ABC International Television.

Stations

Since its founding, over 300 stations have broadcast ABC programming, including its original owned-and-operated (O&O) station WABC-TV and first affiliate WPVI-TV. As of 2020, ABC directly operates eight O&O stations and maintains affiliation agreements with 236 additional broadcasters spanning all 50 states, the District of Columbia, four U.S. territories, Bermuda, and Saba. This extensive network positions ABC as the U.S. broadcast television network with the highest number of affiliates, reaching roughly 97.72% of American households nationwide.

The states of New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Delaware do not have ABC affiliates licensed locally but receive service from nearby O&O or affiliate stations: New Jersey is covered by New York’s WABC-TV and Philadelphia’s WPVI-TV; Rhode Island is served by Massachusetts-licensed but Providence-based WLNE-TV; Delaware receives coverage from WPVI and Maryland’s WMDT. Additionally, ABC partners with low-power stations in select markets such as Birmingham, Alabama (WBMA-LD), Lima, Ohio (WPNM-LD), and South Bend, Indiana (WBND-LD), often simulcasting on digital subchannels owned by full-power sister stations.

Certain markets uniquely have multiple independently owned ABC affiliates serving the same region: Tampa (WFTS-TV and WWSB), Boston (WCVB-TV and WMUR-TV), Lincoln (KLKN and KHGI-TV), Grand Rapids (WZZM and WOTV), and Kansas City (KMBC-TV and KQTV). These dual affiliations address coverage gaps or distinct market needs; for example, WWSB caters to southern Tampa–St. Petersburg areas where signals from WTSP or WFTS are limited. In Boston, both WCVB-TV and Manchester’s WMUR-TV serve the market but hold separate licenses; notably, WCVB offers news focused on New Hampshire. Both stations are owned by Hearst Television.

The station group with the largest number of ABC affiliates is the Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns or operates 28 full-power ABC stations plus two affiliates that broadcast exclusively on subchannels, including Birmingham’s key subchannel affiliate WABM-DT2/WDBB-DT2. The E. W. Scripps Company boasts the greatest market reach among ABC station owners with 15 affiliates in major cities such as Cleveland (WEWS-TV), Phoenix (KNXV-TV), Detroit (WXYZ-TV), and Denver (KMGH-TV). Scripps provides primary ABC service to most areas of Arizona and Southern Nevada through KNXV, KTNV-TV (Las Vegas), and KGUN-TV (Tucson). Alongside ABC-owned outlets in Los Angeles (KABC-TV), Fresno (KFSN-TV), San Francisco (KGO-TV), regional affiliates operated by News-Press & Gazette Company, plus Sinclair’s Seattle (KOMO-TV) and Portland (KATU) stations, these groups collectively dominate the distribution of ABC programming across the Western United States in terms of audience size and market influence.

Facilities and studios

ABC's owned-and-operated stations along with its affiliates operate out of various locations, while national programming is produced by distinct divisions. The company initiated television series production through ABC Circle Films in 1962, followed by the establishment of Touchstone Television in 1985. This entity was restructured into ABC Studios in 2007 and later rebranded as ABC Signature in 2020. Since the 1950s, ABC’s main production hubs have been the ABC Television Center (currently known as The Prospect Studios) in Hollywood, California, alongside the ABC Television Center, East, which encompasses studios throughout New York City.

In Burbank, California, ABC’s headquarters on Riverside Drive is supported by the 'Burbank Center' located at 3800 West Alameda and the ABC Riverside facility. These serve as broadcast centers for Disney-owned networks such as Disney Channel, Freeform, FX, and National Geographic. The nearby city of Glendale hosts the Grand Central Creative Campus, which includes KABC-TV studios and the Los Angeles bureau for ABC News.

Within New York City, ABC possesses multiple properties predominantly situated on West 66th Street near Columbus Avenue, covering roughly . Significant buildings include:

  • The 22-story structure at 77 West 66th Street, constructed in 1988;
  • A pair of adjoining buildings at 147–155 Columbus Avenue;
  • The 15-story building located at 30 West 67th Street;
  • The former First Battery Armory at 56 West 66th Street.

The campus is further completed by additional buildings at 7, 17, and 47 West 66th Street. In recognition of the late anchor Peter Jennings, the block encompassing ABC News was renamed Peter Jennings Way in 2006. Prior to vacating, Disney leased space at 157 Columbus Avenue.

ABC also owns Times Square Studios positioned at 1500 Broadway on land associated with the 42nd Street Project. This venue was home to Good Morning America broadcasts until June 2025. Additionally, ABC News operated from a six-story building located at 121–135 West End Avenue.

In July 2018, The Walt Disney Company revealed plans to sell most properties on West 66th Street to Silverstein Properties and consolidate New York operations into a new broadcast center at 7 Hudson Square. Opened in 2024, this facility became the base for programs such as The View, with other productions including The Tamron Hall Show, ABC News, WABC-TV, ESPN, and Good Morning America transitioning there during early to mid-2025.

Video-on-demand services

ABC provides multiple video-on-demand (VOD) platforms for viewers wishing to watch content after its initial broadcast. One such service is ABC on Demand, accessible through most cable and IPTV providers. As a partial owner of Hulu, The Walt Disney Company has made full episodes of ABC shows available on that platform since July 2009.

In May 2013, ABC introduced "WatchABC," a multi-platform streaming service integrating its website with a mobile application. This service delivers full episodes along with live streams from local affiliates in select markets but requires users to authenticate through their pay-TV subscriptions. Initial participating stations included WABC-TV New York and WPVI-TV Philadelphia; later expansions incorporated Hearst Television affiliates for DirecTV subscribers.

By November 2015, ABC was creating original digital content for WatchABC under the internal project name ABC3. In July 2016, WatchABC was rebranded as ABCd, broadening its collection with thirty-eight classic series and seven original short-form programs.

New episodes generally become available on the ABC app, Hulu, and ABC on Demand the day following their broadcast; however, fast-forwarding functionality is disabled on ABC on Demand.

In 2021, the ABC app extended its offerings to include programming from sister networks Freeform, FX, and National Geographic. Free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels were introduced throughout 2022 and 2023 featuring content such as ESPN8 The Ocho and Freeform’s seasonal event "25 Days of Christmas."

On August 23, 2024, Disney announced it would cease support for mobile and digital media player applications for ABC, DisneyNow, Freeform, FX, and National Geographic effective September 23. Despite this change, TV Everywhere content will continue to be accessible via websites to encourage users to transition toward Disney+ and Hulu platforms.

ABC HD

ABC's primary feed is delivered in 720p high-definition, which is the standard format for Walt Disney Company's U.S. television outlets. Nevertheless, numerous ABC affiliates—such as those owned by Hearst Television and Tegna Inc.—transmit in 1080i, while some others continue to broadcast in 480i standard definition due to technical limitations or awaiting equipment upgrades. Certain stations, including Phoenix's KNXV-TV, provide ABC content in 1080p through ATSC 3.0 multiplex transmissions.

The network introduced its HD simulcast, ABC HD, on September 16, 2001, aligning with the start of the 2001–02 television season. Initially accessible on ABC-owned stations and key affiliates, the rollout focused on airing scripted prime-time series in high definition. By January 2012, all new shows were produced in HD, with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition marking the final program broadcast in 4:3 standard definition. The affiliate-distributed block Litton's Weekend Adventure, which premiered in September 2011, was notable as the first U.S. network children’s programming block to feature HD content. ABC's high-definition broadcasts also support 5.1 surround sound audio.

On September 1, 2016, ABC required affiliates and pay-TV providers to adopt a 16:9 aspect ratio for most graphical elements—including digital on-screen graphics, promotional material, and sports coverage—mandating widescreen presentation in either HD or SD formats. This update also shifted certain on-screen credits beyond the conventional 4:3 frame boundaries.

Visual identity

Since its founding in 1943, ABC’s logo has evolved through numerous redesigns that mirror its shifting business strategies and market positioning. The original 1946 emblem depicted a television screen incorporating the letters "T" and "V" alongside a vertical ABC microphone, reflecting the network’s radio heritage. Following the ABC-UPT merger in 1953, a new logo inspired by the FCC seal was introduced featuring "ABC" inside a circular shield topped with a bald eagle.

In anticipation of color broadcasts in 1957, ABC unveiled the "Circle A" logo: a small lowercase "abc" embedded within a larger lowercase "a". The most iconic iteration emerged in 1962 when graphic designer Paul Rand crafted the now-famous "ABC Circle" logo—lowercase "abc" enclosed within a solid black circle. This minimalist design drew from Bauhaus typography principles, enabling simpler reproduction and becoming central to ABC’s brand identity and competitive edge. Around 1963, a color version appeared displaying red, blue, and green letters against black or white circles, primarily used during early color programming.

During the 1970s and 1980s, ABC enhanced its logo using lighting effects and computer-generated imagery for promotional purposes. This included a three-dimensional gold-letter variant introduced in 1977 and a gold CGI design created for its 40th anniversary in 1983. The classic white-on-black logo returned in 1993 featuring gloss effects and a bronze outline. It debuted as an on-screen bug during the 1993–94 season and became a permanent fixture by the 1995–96 season, boosting brand visibility during broadcasts.

The late 1990s saw ABC adopt a streamlined yellow-and-black theme accompanied by a new four-note audio signature aligned with the "We Love TV" campaign, reinforcing consistent branding to strengthen market presence. In 1999, ABC launched an interactive web campaign centered on its "dot" logo to engage digital audiences innovatively.

Between 2001 and 2007, Troika Design Group developed identities characterized by black-and-yellow palettes and dynamic visuals highlighting ABC’s multi-platform content distribution. The "Start Here" campaign of 2007–08 introduced a glassy logo version featuring animated water and ribbon effects that distinguished entertainment (red ribbons) from news (blue ribbons), reflecting strategic segmentation of offerings.

In the 2013–14 period, Loyalkaspar updated the logo with refined gloss effects and closer adherence to Rand’s original concept while introducing ABC Modern—a proprietary typeface for advertising purposes—and deploying color-coded variants for entertainment (gold), ESPN on ABC (red), and news divisions (steel blue and dark grey) to enhance brand differentiation across subsidiaries.

The rebrand executed during 2018–19 by The New Blank simplified colors to dark grey as the main logo hue accompanied by an echo motif and introduced the slogan "America's Network," reinforcing corporate identity and strategic leadership positioning.

On August 9, 2021, Trollbäck & Company unveiled a flat-design-inspired update featuring smaller yet bolder lettering in dark blue-gray along with black-on-red versions for promotional applications. This refresh included a new sonic logo that preserved elements of previous audio branding to maintain consistency across global operations.

The Circle 7 emblem—created in 1962 for ABC affiliates broadcasting on channel 7 such as flagship stations WABC-TV (New York), KABC-TV (Los Angeles), KGO-TV (San Francisco), and WLS-TV (Chicago)—remains an enduring symbol within ABC’s corporate branding. First adopted by KGO-TV in August of that year, it continues to be used interchangeably with the primary network logo to reinforce local market identity and brand unity.

International broadcasts

ABC's global expansion commenced in the 1950s under the leadership of founder Leonard Goldenson, who adapted approaches from United Paramount Theatres for international markets. The network's first overseas broadcast was the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, taking advantage of delays by rival broadcasters. Goldenson targeted investments in Latin America, securing a majority 51% stake in a Central American network and establishing the program distribution company Worldvision Enterprises in 1959. Additionally, he invested in Japanese broadcasters Mainichi Broadcasting System (1951) and TV Asahi (1957), as well as media properties based in Beirut during the 1960s.

The approach centered on creating a network of fully and partially owned affiliates that would retransmit ABC content. By 1959, ABC Films facilitated program syndication, broadening content reach beyond owned stations. However, advancements in satellite television diminished the necessity for foreign ownership, and stricter foreign ownership regulations compelled ABC to divest its international holdings—including shares in Japan, Latin America, and the Philippines—by the 1970s.

A renewed phase of international development took place in the 1990s through ESPN and Disney Media Networks’ growth of U.S.-originated cable channels such as Disney Channel, Toon Disney, Playhouse Disney, and Jetix. In 2000, Disney sold its 33% stake in the European sports channel Eurosport for $155 million. Unlike these cable channel ventures, ABC’s U.S. broadcast content was distributed internationally primarily through syndication rather than operated as fully owned networks.

In 2004, ABC reintroduced its strategy of wholly owned international networks with ABC1, a free-to-air channel launched in the United Kingdom under the ABC Group umbrella. Despite intentions to expand its global market presence, ABC1 struggled to maintain sufficient viewership and ultimately ceased operations in 2007.

Before ABC1’s shutdown, Disney–ABC Television Group entered into an agreement with Dish TV in India (2006) to offer ABC News Now; however, this service never launched.

This history of international broadcasting illustrates ABC's evolving corporate strategy and business model—balancing direct ownership with syndication while navigating changing global media regulations and market conditions.

Australia

The Nine Network in Australia has maintained longstanding connections with ABC, adopting numerous U.S. network image campaigns and slogans since the 1970s. A notable example is Nine’s use of ABC’s "Still the One" slogan for the 1978 Australian television season; this became Nine’s primary slogan until it was replaced in December 2006 and later reinstated in November 2021. Additional ABC slogans were also employed by Nine as secondary branding between 1980 and 2006.

Canada

In Canada, most Canadians receive at least one U.S.-based ABC affiliate through over-the-air signals near the Canada–United States border or via cable, satellite, or IPTV. Canadian regulations mandate simultaneous substitution, enforced by the CRTC, requiring providers to replace U.S. broadcasts with Canadian transmissions of identical programming to safeguard domestic rights and advertising revenues.

Mexico

In northern Mexico, much like in Canada, ABC programming can be accessed via free-to-air affiliate stations located close to the Mexico–United States border, allowing over-the-air reception within these adjacent border areas.

See also

Further reading


External links

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