• by Wayne Friedman , July 27, 2011

Fox will slow down the consumption of its TV shows online with a new plan pushed by a deal with Dish Network, with similar arrangements coming from Fox's other cable, satellite and telco TV distributors.

Starting in two weeks, a Fox deal with Dish will require users to be pay TV subscribers of Dish in order to view a Fox TV episode the next day on digital video site Hulu. If not, users must wait eight days before seeing a Fox episode for free.

Fox broadcasts "Glee," "Family Guy" and "MasterChef," among others.

Many Fox shows have been available for viewing the day after their traditional TV broadcast on Hulu -- as well as programs from other major TV networks. News Corp., the owner of Fox, along with Comcast Corp., Walt Disney, and Providence Equity Partners, are partners in Hulu.

Viewers who subscribe to Hulu Plus, a $7.99-per-month service, will still be able to see shows the next day. The deal with Dish goes into effect August 15th.

Analysts say the shift in delaying online video viewing comes from pressure from cable, satellite, and telco companies that have been making carriage deals with the networks -- those that feel threatened by new online video destinations.

"Our new authentication service will continue to provide next-day access to Fox broadcast shows for our viewers who subscribe to participating pay television providers," says Michael Hopkins, president of affiliate sales and marketing for Fox Networks.

To watch new episodes of Fox shows the next day, viewers can visit Fox.com, Hulu.com, Dishonline.com or the online TV portals of any future participating distributors and log in with their subscriber usernames and passwords.