CBS has announced its own content distribution network on the web, that is being dubbed as “CBS Interactive Network”. CBS is describing it as “The most widely distributed professional content provider on the Web.” Some of the salient features of the Network are:
- Free, but ad supported content.
- Akamai will be serve as the network backbone for this Interactive Content Network.
- Financial details are not disclosed yet, but it is likely to be a 90-10 split with CBS getting 90% of the revenues.
- Mobile distribution is not part of the partnership, but CBS is open to it.
The content that CBS will be providing for distribution will include current news, sports, entertainment and classic programming from CBS library. The entire content will be available for distribution domestically but for international audiences only clips and sports programming will be made available.
The distributing partners include:
- AOL-will distribute the content at video.aol.com and across AOL’s network.
- Microsoft-will distribute the content on MSN Video through MSN Video Player.
- CNet Networks-will create an interactive community for CSI on TV.com.
- Comcast-will distribute content across its entertainment sites, most notably on Comcast.net and on the recently acquired Fancast.
- Joost-CBS will have channels on Joost.
- Bebo-No details available yet.
- Brightcove-will create channels for CBS content allowing users to remix and share the content on their own channels as well.
- Netvibes-will create four “universes” on the new Netvibes Universe Network, CSTV, CBS News, ShowBuzz, and SportsLine. (The universe will start operating from coming Monday)
- SlingMedia-will cover full length programming on Sling’s upcoming video portal and its enhanced SlingPlayer software.
- Veoh-will make branded, customized channels of full screen, DVD quality shows.
The announcement and partnership is certainly a major win for the distributing partners, specially the startups involved. Although CBS will take most of the revenue generated but then too this partnership will bring a lot of new users to these sites enhancing their reach and brand recognition, which in turn will accelerate adoption of their services in general. Akamai, that has just closed the acquisition of RedSwoosh, a P2P technology developer will also strongly benefit from this partnership.
This is yet another setback to Google, who in the beginning tried to play safe with Google Video, by not allowing any copyrighted content to be uploaded to it. However this move hindered the popularity of Google Video and the upstarting Youtube stole the spotlight with its everything goes approach. Google ultimately bought Youtube fearing to lose the video search battle. The acquisition has been a nightmare ever since, with Viacom smashing it with a massive DMCA. The DMCA notice was followed by a 1$ billion law suit because Viacom and other media companies claim that Youtube has been built on top of copyrighted content, a claim that some studies contradict. Viacom then ditched Google once again by getting laid with Yahoo in Search Advertisement deal, and now CBS has left Youtube, the largest video sharing site online , out of its distribution network altogether.
Another reason for sidelining Youtube is that Media Companies surely are not interested in creating another iTunes, a service that has become so popular and powerful that it has led Apple to single handedly demand and get DRM abolished.
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