CBS Announces Broad Online Distribution

UPDATED Deals have been announced with AOL, Microsoft, CNET Networks, Comcast, Joost, Bebo, Brightcove, Netvibes, Sling Media and Veoh. These would build upon deals already announced with Amazon, Apple, and Yahoo, among others.

Previously aired episodes of Survivor, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and the CBS Evening News along with other programs will be made available through these services. Content would be provided at no cost to the consumer, and would be advertiser supported.

"Today marks an important step in our strategy to distribute content broadly across the online interactive landscape on an open, non-exclusive basis," CBS president and CEO Leslie Moonves said.

Although terms of the deal have not been disclosed, the Wall Street Journal reported earlier Thursday that CBS will pay a 10 percent cut of ad revenue generated by the shows to the participating companies.

Executives at CBS believe that signing agreements to syndicate content rather than run their own portal is a more worthwhile strategy, says the WSJ. It is thought that overall, the company will be able to better manage its content, and stay away from any potential issues that joint ventures often create.

As well as the deals with online providers, CBS noted it also has deals with wireless carriers AT&T/Cingular, Verizon Wireless, and Sprint. Its content will also be featured on Qualcomm’s MediaFLO service.

Analyst reaction to the announcement is so far positive. “CBS is on-trend in exploiting fragmented Internet video distribution and at least one aspect of website deconstruction,’ JupiterResearch analyst David Card said, “This looks very promising.”