CBS Carried by DirecTV Now

CBS Carried by DirecTV Now

Since its launch last November, DirecTV Now has aggressively pursued licensing contracts with programmers.  Within a few months, it was carrying almost every major cable channel. Later it added local affiliates of ABC, NBC, and FOX.  The lone holdout among major broadcast networks was CBS.

The last domino has fallen. On Monday, AT&T announced that it had signed a contract with CBS Corp. to carry its programming on its internet streaming video platform. (AT&T bought DirecTV last year.)

Under terms of the new contract, DirecTV Now will carry 14 CBS-owned stations in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and other major metropolitan markets, plus several CW affiliates.

The deal also entails access to Showtime, which the network owns, and its cable channels such as Pop and CBS Sports. For DirecTV Now customers, Showtime will be an optional on-demand service, available for an $8.00 per month premium.

More About DirecTV Now:

DirecTV Now is a virtual MVPD (V-MVPD). This means that it functions more or less the way a cable or satellite TV system would, but without the cable lines or satellite dish at the customer’s house. V-MVPD content is streamed to the customer via the internet.

DirecTV Now doesn’t require long-term contracts or installation of proprietary equipment. It supports Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV streaming devices, iOS and Android phones and tablets, Mac and PC computers, and LeEco and Vizio smart TV sets. To log into the DirecTV Now app, the customer needs only to enter his four-digit personal code.

DirecTV Now’s basic package, about sixty channels. sells for $35.00 per month.

Two weeks ago, DirecTV Now said that it has over half a million subscribers. This represents phenomenal growth, given that the streaming platform has been in operation only since the end of November.

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