The network reported a “dramatic spike in new subscribers” to its CBS All Access streaming service last weekend, compared with the same weekend in 2018. It didn't say it was due to the retrans impasse that has blackout out CBS stations on AT&T's DirecTV, DirecTV Now and U-Verse, but strongly implied it was in a press release. The release also contains other CBS talking points, including that AT&T has dropped 178 stations in 120 markets in 2019 because of its retrans recalcitrance.
Is CBS All Access Benefitting From AT&T Feud?
CBS today released a “fact sheet” in an effort to score points with the public in its on-going retrans battle with AT&T that has resulted in CBS stations going dark on AT&T’s MVPD satellite and streaming services.
The unedited text of the release:
The CBS Television Network and other CBS Corporation programming continue to be blacked out by AT&T on its DIRECTV, DIRECTV NOW and U-verse TV services.The CBS Television Network and other CBS Corporation programming continue to be blacked out by AT&T on its DIRECTV, DIRECTV NOW and U-verse TV services.
During this time, CBS programming is available by switching providers or via CBS.com and CBS All Access, which saw a dramatic spike in new subscribers this past weekend compared to the same weekend a year ago. More information can be found at KeepCBS.com.
Meanwhile, here are some facts regarding the current situation:
- AT&T has dropped 178 stations in more than 120 markets across 14 programmers in 2019 alone.
During the seven-year term of its recently expired deal with DIRECTV, CBS successfully reached more than 300 retransmission consent deals with over 145 other partners. In fact, CBS has only gone dark with two providers in its history before AT&T.
BRAND CONNECTIONS
Also in 2019, AT&T has had public contract disputes with Viacom and A&E.
- CBS is seeking fair market value.
AT&T has been benefitting from its CBS deal since 2012. AT&T’s peers are paying fair market rates. CBS is now seeking market rates from AT&T similar to what AT&T’s competitors believe our programming is worth.
- CBS remains ready and available to negotiate and as of today its offer of an unconditional 30-day extension still stands.
When the original agreement between CBS and AT&T was set to expire on June 30, CBS offered a 19-day extension to make good faith efforts to broker a fair deal.
On Friday, July 19 – the day AT&T dropped CBS from its customers’ channel lineups – CBS offered AT&T an unconditional 30-day extension of the prior deal. AT&T rejected that offer and took CBS off its systems. (AT&T had offered a six-day extension subject to CBS accepting all of AT&T’s terms and conditions.)
- CBS’ current and upcoming programming schedule:
| New Original Programming | THE LATE SHOW with STEPHEN COLBERT; THE LATE LATE SHOW with JAMES CORDEN; CBS EVENING NEWS with NORAH O’DONNELL; CBS THIS MORNING; CBS SUNDAY MORNING; THE TALK; THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS; THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL; LOVE ISLAND; and BIG BROTHER |
| August 8 – August 29 | Regional NFL preseason games on CBS stations/affiliates |
| August 18 and August 23 | NFL on CBS – National NFL preseason games on CBS |
| Sept. 8 | NFL on CBS – NFL Kickoff Weekend |
| Sept. 14 | SEC Football on CBS begins |
| Week of Sept. 23 | CBS fall season premieres of new and returning series: EVIL; ALL RISE; THE UNICORN; YOUNG SHELDON; NCIS; THE NEIGHBORHOOD; FBI; and GOD FRIENDED ME |
- Viewer feedback is significant.
In less than one week, more than a quarter of a million calls have been placed to 1-855-5-KEEP-CBS and social posts about the blackout have reached a potential audience of nearly 35 million people.
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