CBS All Access Launches On Roku Devices

CBS today announced that CBS All Access, the network’s subscription-based streaming service, will now be available through Roku devices, expanding the reach of the service that until now has been available only online and on mobile.

The launch means that CBS All Access subscribers — who pay $5.99 a month for the service — will be able to watch the service on their television sets through Roku devices. The channel offers CBS programming on-demand as well as live streams of local CBS television stations in 14 markets, the company says.

The channel will continue to be available on mobile apps and at CBS.com, the network says.

The channel’s launch on Roku is the start of more to come, network execs say. “The launch of the CBS All Access Channel marks the first of many connected device platforms we’ll be bringing this service to in the coming months,” Marc DeBevoise, CBS Interactive’s EVP and GM of entertainment, sports and News, said in a statement. “This launch brings us even closer to delivering on our promise to give our viewers access to more of CBS’s world-class programming on whichever platform they choose.”

The CBS All Access Channel will replace the current CBS Channel available through Roku, which offers clips. Existing users will automatically be upgraded to the new channel today and will still have the opportunity to watch clips without being a CBS All Access subscriber. New subscribers will be able to sign up directly through their Roku device or the CBS website. Current CBS All Access subscribers can simply log in using their existing username and password.

CBS launched All Access last October, at which time CEO Les Moonves billed the service as part of the network’s larger strategy of monetizing its local and national content through new distribution means. The channel’s creation is represenative of a larger push among broadcasters and producers to stream their own content  rather than embracing catch-alls like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime.