CBS on Joost and Sling

TV network CBS today revealed the CBS Interactive Audience Network, a new initiative to bring as much of its TV programming online as possible. The company has struck deals with several key Internet distributors to make much of its content available on a non-exclusive basis and says it will split ad revenues (when applicable) between itself and the companies hosting its clips. Every clip posted online will be available directly to US viewers, CBS says, though only shorter segments as well as full-length sports events will be available to an international audience.

Standing to benefit the most from the deal are companies such as Joost (pictured), which promises to host at least some of CBS' premium shows on its unique peer-to-peer Internet TV network for Mac OS X and Windows PCs. The self-titled service, which is still in beta testing, has been fighting to obtain premium content from normally reluctant major networks. It achieved one of its largest deals in February in a deal with Viacom for programming from MTV and similar networks.

Slingbox media hub creator Sling Media also gained from the deal, and today noted that its Clip+Sling tool for recording and uploading video from the Slingbox would host CBS content for sharing with fellow users. Its upcoming SlingCatcher rival to the Apple TV will also have easy access to CBS media, Sling's Cindy Cooper said. Both the hardware and software changes should be ready by the summer.

Other major providers of CBS content will include AOL, CNET's TV.com, Comcast, and Microsoft's MSN Video.

The approach is an aggressive new step for CBS, which began first by hosting its shows on the web and later offering shows for purchase through Apple's iTunes and Microsoft's Xbox Video Marketplace services. The network's only free video streaming service outside its own pages has been a free option from YouTube.

This also contrasts sharply with opposing networks Fox and NBC, both of which have insisted on directing their non-paying audiences to centralized websites or else charging a fee for each show. CBS' offer today wasn't extended to MySpace or other popular but directly competitive online media outlets.

By Electronista Staff