The deal means Cablevision TV customers can access CBS.com and the CBS App, streaming CBS live programming online and on mobile devices.
Cablevision TV customers can now view a live stream of CBS within each market served by a CBS-owned station -- New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, San Francisco, Boston, Detroit, Minneapolis, Miami, Denver, Sacramento, Pittsburgh and Baltimore.
Live programming from CBS includes daytime, prime-time and late-night CBS shows, special events, local news and sports. All available on desktop devices, on iOS and Android mobile devices and tablets through the CBS App and through Chromecast by casting from their desktop, iOS or Android device.
Cablevision and CBS signed a multiyear content carriage agreement last year, in which Cablevision also became the first cable or satellite provider to announce plans to distribute CBS All Access and Showtime Internet services to its customers.
Cablevision has more than 3 million customers in the New York tri-state area for its TV, phone and Internet services.
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Who needs affiliates?
It seems to me that this is a logical extension of the networks' new appreciation of the digital realities and efforts to monetize any commercial audiences attained by alternative platforms. I expect the others to follow suit. As for the consequences, sure, it may contribute somewhat to the rating erosion of broadcast audiences at the station level, but that remains to be seen. If it becomes a serious issue, I'm reasonably sure that the networks will compensate the stations with a share of their incremental cable-derived ad revenues.
I should add that it also makes sense for CBS to start this with its O&O stations, prior to extending it to all affiliates. That way it will know what rating attrition to anticipate and can negotiate appropriate compensation deals with its affiliates if this is needed to maintain good relationships.