It’s calling the new service the first “live, anchored news network across all leading digital platforms.” The network features a 60-minute format delivering live, updated news content from 9 a.m. to midnight ET every weekday at launch to Internet-connected TV, online and mobile platforms.
CBS Debuts CBSN Interactive Streaming News
CBS News and CBS Interactive today launched CBSN, which it is calling “the first digital streaming news network that will allow Internet-connected consumers to watch live, anchored news coverage on their connected TV and other devices.”
At launch, the network is available 24/7 and makes all of the resources of CBS News available directly on digital platforms with live, anchored coverage 15 hours each weekday.
“CBSN is an important example of how CBS is able to leverage the unique strengths, talent and competitive advantages of its businesses to create exciting, highly competitive new services that meet evolving audience preferences for content consumption,” said Leslie Moonves, president-CEO, CBS Corp. “There’s a tremendous opportunity on these platforms for a true, round-the-clock newscast. We’re confident this service will appeal to both traditional news consumers and a whole new set of viewers.”
CBSN will be available on CBSNews.com and its mobile website, key connected TV devices including Amazon Fire TV, Roku players and Roku TV and others, as well as the newly launched CBS News app for Windows 8/8.1 and Windows Phone 8/8.1 available through the Windows Store and Windows Phone Store. CBSN will also be available on the CBS News apps for Android and other leading platforms before the end of the year.
The network features a 60-minute format delivering live, updated news content from 9 a.m. to midnight ET every weekday at launch, and, CBS says, “it takes advantage of the interactivity of digital platforms through a unique video player and on-screen interface. It gives viewers the full flexibility within each hour to control what they watch and when they watch it via DVR-like functionality that allows them to watch previous segments and jump back into live programming seamlessly, across devices.”
Features of the network will include:
BRAND CONNECTIONS
- Live, anchored coverage from 9 a.m. to midnight ET every weekday.
- Simulcasts of CBS News special reports for breaking news.
- Additional content from a range of CBS sources including CBS News, CBS affiliate stations, CNET, CBSSports.com, Entertainment Tonight and more.
- Accessibility across key connected TV devices including Amazon Fire TV, Roku players and Roku TV, and others, as well as additional core CBS News digital platforms including CBSNews.com, its mobile website, and the newly launched CBS News app for Windows 8/8.1 and Windows Phone 8/8.1 available through the Windows Store and Windows Phone Store. CBSN will also be available on the CBS News apps for Android and other leading platforms before the end of the year.
- Personal choice and control through DVR-like functionality that enable viewers to watch the segments they’re interested in or tune into the live programming seamlessly.
- The ability to share content from the experience via social media accounts with compatible devices.
- The opportunity for advertisers to reach engaged news consumers with custom ad integrations.
CBS News says it is using its newsgathering and reporting to redefine it for the digital age. CBSN offers original, up-to-the-minute coverage of national and global stories with dynamic on-demand video content, including video from CBS News’ extensive archives to add context and perspective. Viewers will have immediate access to breaking news reports, feature stories and interviews from among the most experienced teams in video journalism.
“CBSN gives audiences a new window on our original reporting — we’ll make it possible to see CBS News anytime, anywhere,” said David Rhodes, president, CBS News. “We are making an important investment in quality news coverage on any device.”
“CBSN demonstrates our continued advancement in the digital space, as we extend to new platforms and a wider audience,” said Jim Lanzone, president-CEO, CBS Interactive. “We are developing original content exclusively for online, connected platforms in a true interactive format that viewers can control, allowing them to lean back or lean in to the segments and stories that interest them.”
CBSN will be an ad-supported network across all platforms. Inaugural sponsors include Microsoft and Amazon. Other advertisers will also run in the service on all devices.
The live, linear stream will be led by both veteran and new CBS News correspondents:
Jeff Glor is the anchor of the Sunday edition of the CBS Evening News and Emmy award-winning correspondent for the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley. Since joining CBS News in 2007, Glor has traveled extensively to report on domestic and international stories.
Elaine Quijano is a CBS News correspondent reporting for all platforms, including CBS This Morning and the CBS Evening News, since 2010.
Michelle Miller is an award-winning CBS News correspondent reporting for all broadcasts and platforms since 2004. Her work regularly appears on the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley, CBS This Morning and CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood.
Don Dahler is a CBS News correspondent and an award-winning journalist whose work has appeared on a range of programs and platforms since 2013.
Vladimir Duthiers is a CBS News correspondent. He joined CBS News in August 2014 from CNN, where he was an international correspondent based in Lagos, Nigeria.
Comments (12)
Trudy Rubin says:
November 6, 2014 at 11:15 am
Way to go CBS. What little I have been able to watch, CBS has blown away the pathetic ABC Disney attempt to launch a digital news network on Apple iP
TV. ABC was mostly endless Yahoo News clips with no live anchors (which thankfully they have stop). I am looking forward to CBSN becoming available on Roku TV
Keith ONeal says:
November 6, 2014 at 8:34 pm
Is CBS All Access available on Roku TV?
Trudy Rubin says:
November 6, 2014 at 11:21 pm
Not yet. But the CBSN should launch on Roku, at least according to the above article. CBSN is now on Apple TV. I am watching it right now on Apple TV. Finally a live U.S. news network on Apple TV. Thank you CBS
Ida Anderson says:
November 6, 2014 at 4:32 pm
And just like a lot of streaming shows, looks like the same three ads for Microsoft, Blackrock and Amazon running over and over and over and over and over and……
Is anybody minding the store?????
Wagner Pereira says:
November 6, 2014 at 5:20 pm
Did you read the story? “Inaugural sponsors include Microsoft and Amazon. Other advertisers will also run in the service on all devices.”
Keith ONeal says:
November 6, 2014 at 8:37 pm
I’m sure CBSN will line up more and better advertising soon. Like any new venture, it takes time to work the bugs out.
Peter Grewar says:
November 6, 2014 at 9:29 pm
They’re making the Windows Phone app available before the Android and IOS apps? That seems like a great way to limit the audience for CBSN at the beginning. When I read this article, my first thought was to go to Google Play to install the app on my phone…and then I saw that line in the article.
I assume that Microsoft must be paying CBS a sponsorship fee in order to get the Windows Phone app to come out first.
Wagner Pereira says:
November 6, 2014 at 10:09 pm
Again, look who is the inaugural sponsor. Seems far too many do not comprehend and are then able to connect the dots.
Trudy Handel says:
November 7, 2014 at 7:29 am
I can see making Windows Phone a launch platform instead of coming after the other platforms, but I can probably count on zero hands the number of people who would switch from Android or iPhone to Windows Phone in order to get CBSN a few weeks before the other platforms. I’m not entirely sure what is gained by delaying roll-out to Roku and iOS and Android other than missing out on the press that is coming with the launch of CBSN.
Trudy Rubin says:
November 7, 2014 at 7:49 am
It is now on Roku. Pretty quick launch. Roku users who don’t have the CBS News Roku app already installed, will have to look for it in the channel store, under the category news and weather. It is not listed under the new app category in the store, since CBS News, has always had and app on Roku. Just CBSN is new to the Roku app.
Trudy Handel says:
November 7, 2014 at 8:05 am
Oh, I had searched the Roku for “CBSN” yesterday assuming it would be separate or at least come up in a search for “CBSN”.
Trudy Rubin says:
November 7, 2014 at 8:13 am
They just launched CBSN some time today, perhaps early morning in the existing app, but it is in the CBS News App. They got it on Apple TV yesterday.