Google Starts New TV Service Unplugged, CBS Signs On

Google is starting up a new cost-conscious TV service -- a “skinny” bundle of TV networks, called “Unplugged,” according to one report.

The Wall Street Journal says CBS is one of the first TV content providers to sign up in a carriage deal with Unplugged. The story says Google close to doing deals with Walt Disney and 21st Century Fox.

The service would offer a "skinny" bundle of live TV channels at around $25 to $50 per month -- launching sometime in early 2017.

Unplugged would exist in Google’s YouTube infrastructure, but would be a separate service. It would also be separate from the existing advertising-free YouTube Red subscription video-on-demand service offering, which looks to compete with other SVOD services such as Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu.

A number of other competitors are also looking to enter the space with new packages of discounted TV network bundles, including Apple and Hulu.

DirecTV will launch one later this year called DirecTV Now. Dish Network has had its Sling TV package of TV networks up and running now for a year and a half.

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