Disney to offer free movies online (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Disney will streamfull-length movies on its Web site for the first time, as partof its "Wonderful World of Disney" series on ABC. The films arescheduled to stream through August.

"Finding Nemo" is available at (http://www.Disney.com/WWoD) through Friday, after the film'sairing Saturday on Disney-owned ABC. "Monsters, Inc.," "HauntedMansion," "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen," "PrincessDiaries 2," "Freaky Friday" and "Peter Pan" also will beavailable on the site this summer.

A Disney spokesman said the decision to stream movies forfree marks an "evolution" in the company's online strategy.Fox, Universal, Lionsgate and MGM have all previously placedtitles on Hulu, the NBC Universal/News Corp.-owned site, whileDisney has gone the pay route and kept its films, for the mostpart, on .

Disney Channel does, though, stream episodes of its seriesonline for free.

The spokesman said that the "advertising strategy has notbeen finalized" for the films.

The movies will be on from Monday through Fridayafter their ABC broadcast the preceding Saturday night as"Wonderful World of Disney" presentations. "Peter Pan" will bethe last movie to stream, ending its run August 8.

Disney.com also will stream the Disney Channel originalmovie "Camp Rock" on June 23 at for a24-hour window after its June 20 TV premiere and subsequentairings June 21 on ABC and June 22 on ABC Family.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter