• by Wayne Friedman , May 15, 2006

CBS has offered up a special promotion as part of its Comcast Video-On-Demand deal--free showings of CBS' "Survivor Finale" and "Survivor Reunion," sponsored by General Motors.

The deal is only for Comcast Digital Cable customers in Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, and Philadelphia, and will be available from May 15 through August 31. CBS' original deal with Comcast's On Demand service calls for a 99-cent charge to consumers--shows that also include advertising.

General Motors has been a long-time sponsor of "Survivor."

In four major markets, both shows will feature three brief commercial messages: one before the show begins, one at the midpoint, and one at the conclusion. Commercials will direct viewers to The GM Showroom, which is featured on the On Demand service. Viewers can get to long-form videos about GM vehicles.

Early this year, CBS and Comcast struck up a partnership in which CBS provides programming through Comcast's On Demand service. As part of that agreement, CBS owned-and-operated television stations in the top 7 markets now offer episodes of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "NCIS," "Survivor," and "The Amazing Race" for 99 cents per episode. These viewings include limited advertising.