Twitter is just a part of everyday life for a lot of us, but back in the days before, someone actually had to think it up. In an upcoming interview on this week’s 60 Minutes, Twitter co-founder and Square CEO Jack Dorsey sits down to explain exactly how the idea for Twitter came to be. More »
CBS wants you watching its shows — and, of course, the ads appear with those shows — anywhere, which is why it’s putting its programming on the iPhone. It’s like a network exclusive version of Hulu for your iPhone and …
Welcome to the 21st century, CBS. Following in the footsteps of NBC, TBS, TNT, ABC and a smattering of others, CBS has launched a new iOS app that enables iPhone, iPod touch and iPad owners to stream full-length, HD-quality episodes of CBS programming right on their mobile device. The app includes offerings from its primetime, daytime and late night schedule, with flagships like NCIS, CSI, How I Met Your Mother and The Late Show with David Letterman being called out in particular. Daytime and late night programming will be available within 24 hours after initial airing, while most primetime programs will be available on the eighth day after broadcast. For those awaiting similar treatment on non-iOS platforms, the company has assured the universe that it’ll bring similar functionality to Windows 8 and Android “later this year.”
The upside here is that there’s no mention of cost, which should ease any frustrations of having to wait up to eight days to see something that aired live on the network. Moreover, the new app will integrate the existing CBS Connect App experience by the start of the Fall TV season, bringing a polished second-screen experience to those watching CSI, Criminal Minds, Hawaii Five-O and NCIS: Los Angeles. Now, if only we could convince every other channel to distribute its content over the web without arcane restrictions, we’d be happier than Gallagher at a farmer’s market.
Filed under: Software, Mobile, Apple
Source: App Store (iTunes)
At long last, CBS has released an iOS app, so you can get your fill of How I Met Your Mother any and everywhere. More »
Almost by definition, TV syndication in the modern era leads us to wonder just where and when we’ll get to see a show online. For CBS’ The Good Wife, streaming on third-party services will be a cornerstone of an uncommon, multi-step syndication strategy that puts the internet first. The drama will be available for Amazon Prime Instant Video subscribers starting March 14th, expanding beyond its existing availability for purchase. Hulu Plus members, meanwhile, will get their own turn at streaming in September. Traditional TV will still be around, but it’s notably pushed to the back of the queue — Hallmark won’t have airing rights until January 2014, and most other broadcasters will be denied until a year after Hulu. The new approach another sign that CBS’ one-time cold shoulder to some forms of digital distribution is growing warmer and warmer.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Internet, HD, Amazon
Amazon only managed to land a slice of CBS’ library for Prime Instant Video on the first pass; it’s coming back for a second helping, including one of its first cracks at genuinely recent content from the network. A widened licensing deal gives subscribers access to further CBS and Showtime series that include Jericho, The L Word and an unspecified number of other shows. And for those intrigued by the broadcaster’s upcoming adaptation of Stephen King’s Under the Dome, Amazon will be the only choice for many viewers: Prime Instant Video will be the exclusive home for subscription streaming and purchased downloads of the series, delivering streaming episodes about four days after their air date in order to shelter CBS’ traditional advertisers. Amazon may not have have completely locked in an audience between this and the Downton Abbey deal, but the recent set of exclusives is likely to leave Netflix feeling nervous.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Amazon
Source: Amazon Instant Video
CBS has pulled back the curtain on just how many eyeballs were glued to its Super Bowl XLVII coverage, and it claims that its live stream netted 3 million unique viewers, up 43 percent from last year’s game. With so many fans watching the action via the internet, CBS managed to whip up almost 10 million live video streams, which is more than a 100% uptick from the previous year. If you’re wondering just how that translates into time spent watching the Ravens forge their path to victory, CBS says it broke a record by streaming 114.4 million minutes. According to figures collected by a trio of research groups, the game was the most “most-social event in the history of television,” racking up more than 52.5 million mentions of it around the web in a single day — three times that of 2012’s Super Bowl and Grammy Awards. Sure, CBS’ online viewership numbers for Super Bowl XLVI are impressive, but they’re still eclipsed by the record-breaking 164.1 million viewers who caught the Ravens and 49ers duke it out on television.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD
Source: CBS
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With the heavy responsibility of handling the Super Bowl XLVII livestream, CBS is focusing in on what football fans really want: commercials. Well, that, and real-time statistic updates, game highlights, alternate camera angles and a star studded musical performance by Beyoncé, of course. The network’s taking its duties seriously, and seems to be pulling out all the stops to create a robust second screen experience on CBSSports.com. Viewers will be able to access a pop-up video console from laptops, desktops and tablets to choose between four cameras, pause coverage or check customized Twitter feed culled from the CBS’ top sports experts. Deep social integration is promised — particularly when it comes to the game’s infamously expensive commercials — allowing fans to instantly share their famous moments. After all, if you’re going to stream the Super Bowl, you may as well do it right. Read on for the official press release, including specific details on what those four extra cameras will be looking at.
Filed under: Internet
For times when soaking in a bevy of crime-related shows simply isn’t enough stimuli, CBS is now ready to amp up your viewing experience with its second screen app for the iPad. Known as CBS Connect, it allows fans to engage one another via social networking and view exclusive content from their favorite shows. The app also features the ability to identify what viewers are watching — be it live, on demand or from your DVR — and then tailor the second screen experience to sync with the program. For the moment, CBS Connect is built to engage fans of NCIS: Los Angeles, CSI and Hawaii Five-O, but if crime dramas aren’t your thing, the network promises that other shows will soon find their way into the mix. In the meantime, you’ll find the full PR after the break.
Filed under: Home Entertainment, Software, HD
Source: CBS Connect (App Store)
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