In the US, the Fox television network has announced that it’s launching Fox On Demand, which will air TV shows for free after they’ve been broadcast.

Fox on Demand will be available through two other branches of Rupert Murdoch-ownded News Corp. – MySpace and MyFoxLocal, which are Fox’s local TV station websites.

Fox is not the first network to try this approach to broadcast, as ABC and NBC have already offered select shows on their websites.

Fox On Demand will be ad-supported, and will include “Prison Break”, “Justice” and “Bones” in its line-up of hit programmes.

“Leveraging this unique opportunity with our sister company Fox enables us to experiment and innovate and deliver some of the most compelling video experiences online to consumers”, said Ross Levinsohn, Fox Interactive Media president, to Reuters.

Although the TV shows aired online will be free to watch, they won’t be transferable to a portable media device, unlike the shows that can be bought through Apple’s iTunes or other download stores.