CBS may have teamed up with Netflix in the US to satisfy those of us with an Enterprising bent, but the company has taken a different tack in the UK and Germany. Instead, the firm has signed a deal with Lovefilm to bring CBS and Showtime-owned shows to Amazon's streaming network. The press release promises that users will be able to watch classic Star Trek, Voyager, The Good Wife, Dexter and Californication instantly, although a brief check of the UK site reveals that you may need to wait a short while more before you can immerse yourself in the Delta quadrant / Hank Moody's psyche.
Filed under: HD
TV Guide Digital has fared well between its web portal and mobile apps, but part-owner CBS thinks there's a lot of potential locked away. Enough so, in fact, that CBS is taking over TV Guide Digital by acquiring Lionsgate's remaining 50 percent stake in the venture. The media giant now has full control of both TVGuide.com and the TV Guide Mobile apps, both of which are folding into CBS Interactive's Technology, Games and Lifestyle division. CBS mostly hopes that the deal will make it a font of wisdom for channel surfers -- it sees TV Guide Digital's rapidly growing audience and programming knowledge as complements to TV.com. We don't yet know how the acquisition will affect the TV Guide properties themselves, but we'd expect more than just the status quo.
Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment, Tablets, Internet, HD
This week many TV networks are putting on "upfront" where they lay out their content plans for the next year, and The CW President Mark Pedowitz announced it's bringing full TV episodes streaming to the Apple TV. The CW already has ad supported full episode streaming on several platforms including iOS and Android, Windows 8 and it launched last month on the Xbox 360 (pictured above). Pedowitz indicated the network is working to reach more viewers on more platforms, so Apple TV is probably not the last. In a note to MacRumors The CW confirmed it will mirror the experience on other platforms, with episodes available the day after they air, no cable TV authentication required and supported by advertisements. Les Moonves is president of CBS (which is a part owner of The CW, along with Warner Bros.) and previously remarked on turning down participation in an Apple subscription service funded by advertising revenue. Of course, CBS now does full episode streaming on mobile iOS devices, so we'll see if this a sign of more changes on the way, although with no release date we don't know how long we'll have to wait.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Apple
Source: Deadline
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Welcome to the 21st century, CBS. Following in the footsteps of NBC, TBS, TNT, ABC and a smattering of others, CBS has launched a new iOS app that enables iPhone, iPod touch and iPad owners to stream full-length, HD-quality episodes of CBS programming right on their mobile device. The app includes offerings from its primetime, daytime and late night schedule, with flagships like NCIS, CSI, How I Met Your Mother and The Late Show with David Letterman being called out in particular. Daytime and late night programming will be available within 24 hours after initial airing, while most primetime programs will be available on the eighth day after broadcast. For those awaiting similar treatment on non-iOS platforms, the company has assured the universe that it'll bring similar functionality to Windows 8 and Android "later this year."
The upside here is that there's no mention of cost, which should ease any frustrations of having to wait up to eight days to see something that aired live on the network. Moreover, the new app will integrate the existing CBS Connect App experience by the start of the Fall TV season, bringing a polished second-screen experience to those watching CSI, Criminal Minds, Hawaii Five-O and NCIS: Los Angeles. Now, if only we could convince every other channel to distribute its content over the web without arcane restrictions, we'd be happier than Gallagher at a farmer's market.
Filed under: Software, Mobile, Apple
Source: App Store (iTunes)
Almost by definition, TV syndication in the modern era leads us to wonder just where and when we'll get to see a show online. For CBS' The Good Wife, streaming on third-party services will be a cornerstone of an uncommon, multi-step syndication strategy that puts the internet first. The drama will be available for Amazon Prime Instant Video subscribers starting March 14th, expanding beyond its existing availability for purchase. Hulu Plus members, meanwhile, will get their own turn at streaming in September. Traditional TV will still be around, but it's notably pushed to the back of the queue -- Hallmark won't have airing rights until January 2014, and most other broadcasters will be denied until a year after Hulu. The new approach another sign that CBS' one-time cold shoulder to some forms of digital distribution is growing warmer and warmer.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD, Amazon
Amazon only managed to land a slice of CBS' library for Prime Instant Video on the first pass; it's coming back for a second helping, including one of its first cracks at genuinely recent content from the network. A widened licensing deal gives subscribers access to further CBS and Showtime series that include Jericho, The L Word and an unspecified number of other shows. And for those intrigued by the broadcaster's upcoming adaptation of Stephen King's Under the Dome, Amazon will be the only choice for many viewers: Prime Instant Video will be the exclusive home for subscription streaming and purchased downloads of the series, delivering streaming episodes about four days after their air date in order to shelter CBS' traditional advertisers. Amazon may not have have completely locked in an audience between this and the Downton Abbey deal, but the recent set of exclusives is likely to leave Netflix feeling nervous.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Amazon
Source: Amazon Instant Video
CBS has pulled back the curtain on just how many eyeballs were glued to its Super Bowl XLVII coverage, and it claims that its live stream netted 3 million unique viewers, up 43 percent from last year's game. With so many fans watching the action via the internet, CBS managed to whip up almost 10 million live video streams, which is more than a 100% uptick from the previous year. If you're wondering just how that translates into time spent watching the Ravens forge their path to victory, CBS says it broke a record by streaming 114.4 million minutes. According to figures collected by a trio of research groups, the game was the most "most-social event in the history of television," racking up more than 52.5 million mentions of it around the web in a single day -- three times that of 2012's Super Bowl and Grammy Awards. Sure, CBS' online viewership numbers for Super Bowl XLVI are impressive, but they're still eclipsed by the record-breaking 164.1 million viewers who caught the Ravens and 49ers duke it out on television.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Source: CBS
