CBS is looking to make money anywhere it can these days. Advertising always tops the list, but retransmission fees from cable and satellite providers are increasingly important. Now the Eye Network has entered into a joint venture with Reliance Broadcast Network in India to provide three "pay TV" channels loaded with old, and potentially new, CBS content. Even better for CBS, there won't be any translation needed; the channels will all be English language.
Even as the FCC watches closely to make sure a Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA)-owned NBC doesn't start tossing its over-the-air fare onto cable channels, CBS is milking an international market opportunity to put its old shows like any of the CSI franchises and Frasier on pay channels. The network is also expected to work with Reliance to create local versions of U.S. shows like Entertainment Tonight and America's Top Model for the cable provider.
Of the approximately 134 million homes with televisions in India, more than two-thirds have access to cable or satellite.
For more:
- L.A. Times has this story
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