Verizon Communications and CBS have a new multiyear content carriage agreement in place. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The agreement includes continued retransmission consent of CBS-owned television stations, including CBS-owned The CW affiliates, in multiple markets across the country as well as distribution of Showtime, Smithsonian Channel and CBS Sports Network on Verizon Fios TV, according to a news release.
CBS owns stations in Verizon Fios markets including New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore and Pittsburgh, and owns The CW affiliates in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
As part of the deal, Verizon will soon also provide access to live authenticated streaming on CBS.com, the CBS App and Verizon's authenticated platform. The companies have also agreed to expand the partnership to future digital platforms.
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When CBS earlier this year renewed its affiliate deal with station group Meredith, the companies included similar provisions for current and upcoming digital platforms, including CBS All Access and Hulu’s soon-to-be-launched live TV service.
"The renewal of our Fios content carriage agreement for various CBS networks and our expanded rights for future digital platforms is in line with our company's strategy to deliver industry-leading content to viewers across multiple platforms and screens, while also achieving both our short and long-term economic goals," said Ray Hopkins, president of television networks distribution for CBS Corporation, in a statement.
"With every carriage agreement we focus on achieving an outcome that best serves Fios customers based on the way they view today and the way they may want to view tomorrow, including across future digital platforms," said Brian Angiolet, senior vice president of product and new business for Verizon, in a statement. "Providing customers with choice remains at the core of all of our video offerings, and this agreement with CBS fits squarely into our strategy of expanding rights to fill out our emerging vertically integrated media portfolio."
Meanwhile, CBS has also announced that its video on demand service will be available to TDS subscribers. In a blog post, TDS said that starting March 20 all TDS TV subscribers will be able to use the service, which houses all shows currently airing on CBS.