For $5.99 a month, the company is offering a subscriber video-on-demand and live streaming service, aptly titled CBS All Access. In addition to serving up current-season episodes the day after they air, it will offer previous seasons of several CBS-owned shows as well as a vast library of classic CBS series and the ability to stream local CBS television stations live in 14 of the largest U.S. markets. The service will be offered through all major digital platforms, including an app and website, with plans to add to connected TVs at a later date.
All Access marks a considerable move for a network that has long been selective with regard to its digital dealings, famously staying out of the Hulu pact its broadcast rivals made many years earlier. By remaining largely untethered in that way, CBS is able to introduce its new paid service, which is designed to target those being dubbed “CBS superfans,” who are seeking greater access to past and present CBS shows. Or, as CBS CEO Leslie Moonves noted: “CBS All Access is another key step in the company’s long-standing strategy of monetizing our local and national content in the ways that viewers want it.”