Bundled Cable Deathwatch: CBS Offers Live-Streaming Service

Bundled Cable Deathwatch: CBS Offers Live-Streaming Service

Just one day after news broke that HBO would go over-the-top with a live-streaming service, the evil that is bundled cable received another potential death blow with an announcement from CBS that the network would offer its own live-streaming subscription service.

For $5.99 a month, subscribers can enjoy CBS All Access, which will live stream local CBS stations and deliver the following:

Full current seasons of 15 primetime shows with episodes available the day after they air.

Ability to live stream local CBS stations such as WBBM-Channel 2.

Full past seasons of eight major current series, including THE GOOD WIFE, BLUE BLOODS and SURVIVOR.

More than 5,000 episodes of CBS Classics, including every episode of STAR TREK, CHEERS, MACGYVER, TWIN PEAKS (timely! – Showtime will revisit this classic in a new series in 2016) and CSI: MIAMI.

Access to exclusive additional content for special events, such as THE GRAMMY AWARDS, THE ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS and THE VICTORIA’S SECRET FASHION SHOW.

Ability to stream the BIG BROTHER 24/7 Live Feeds service for no additional fee when the show returns next summer.

Advertising-free environment for all CBS Classics.

The service is available starting today and more local stations are scheduled to be added.

If you will be able to live stream your local affiliate that likely will include sports programming, and the availability of sports is a big part of the reason many people tell me they hang on to their obscenely priced bundled cable packages.

On top of Netflix and the like, consumers will now be able to watch HBO and CBS free of a bundled cable package. Can Showtime, a subsidiary of CBS, be far behind?

In my piece on HBO’s announcement yesterday, I explained in detail why bundled cable is immoral and why it’s a legitimate death watch when services like HBO and CBS break from bundled cable. You can read that here.

For years I’ve been writing about streaming as a slow motion revolution. It now appears to be gaining a real head of steam.

John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC              

For $5.99 a month, subscribers can enjoy CBS All Access, which will live stream local CBS stations and deliver the following:

Full current seasons of 15 primetime shows with episodes available the day after they air.

Ability to live stream local CBS stations such as WBBM-Channel 2.

Full past seasons of eight major current series, including THE GOOD WIFE, BLUE BLOODS and SURVIVOR.

More than 5,000 episodes of CBS Classics, including every episode of STAR TREK, CHEERS, MACGYVER, TWIN PEAKS (timely! – Showtime will revisit this classic in a new series in 2016) and CSI: MIAMI.

Access to exclusive additional content for special events, such as THE GRAMMY AWARDS, THE ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS and THE VICTORIA’S SECRET FASHION SHOW.

Ability to stream the BIG BROTHER 24/7 Live Feeds service for no additional fee when the show returns next summer.

Advertising-free environment for all CBS Classics.

The service is available starting today and more local stations are scheduled to be added.

If you will be able to live stream your local affiliate that likely will include sports programming, and the availability of sports is a big part of the reason many people tell me they hang on to their obscenely priced bundled cable packages.

On top of Netflix and the like, consumers will now be able to watch HBO and CBS free of a bundled cable package. Can Showtime, a subsidiary of CBS, be far behind?

In my piece on HBO’s announcement yesterday, I explained in detail why bundled cable is immoral and why it’s a legitimate death watch when services like HBO and CBS break from bundled cable. You can read that here.

For years I’ve been writing about streaming as a slow motion revolution. It now appears to be gaining a real head of steam.

John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC              

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