CBS Affiliate Board OKs ‘Skinny Bundle’ Access

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In a major plus to consumers and companies offering so-called “over-the-top” TV service package, the CBS Affiliate Board today reached a wide-ranging agreement with CBS Corp. that will extend non-CBS O&Os beyond its CBS All Access platform.


This means affiliates can now have their channels available on OTT platforms from Hulu, Google’s YouTube TV and “future new entrants,” with additional revenue possibilities for all.

Specific terms of the new collaborative agreement were not disclosed.

“Expanding distribution on these new platforms together with our affiliates has been a part of CBS’ long-term digital strategy, and I am very proud we have reached this agreement with our affiliate board,” said Ray Hopkins, President of CBS Corp.’s Television Networks Distribution arm. “No broadcaster has made preserving the network-affiliate model a core tenet of their strategy like CBS. We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with our affiliates, and as these new forms of distribution continue to grow, including CBS All Access, so will our revenue together.”

Chris Cornelius, Chairman of the CBS Affiliates Board, added, “Access to these new and emerging digital distribution platforms gives all CBS affiliates the opportunity to provide viewers with more accessibility to their favorite local programs as well as must-see, hit CBS programming.”

CBS is presently the only network to offer affiliate partners a revenue-generating opportunity involving an OTT streaming service.

At present, viewers in 90% of the country can receive their local CBS affiliate through CBS All Access.

Now, that number is expected to grow.