Nearly eight months after it launched on Amazon Channels, CBS All Access is bringing its less-expensive service tier to the aggregated subscription video hub.
Subscribers to All Access on Channels can now opt for the $5.99-per-month limited commercials version. When All Access first arrived on Channels back in early January, only the $9.99-per-month commercial-free option was available.
The live local CBS streams still include the same commercials as the over-the-air broadcast, and select on-demand shows will include promotional interruptions.
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Amazon did not immediately respond to questions about why it took nearly eight months to add the $5.99 service tier for All Access.
While it’s unclear why it took so long for the less-expensive version of All Access to arrive on Channels, recent comments from CBS CEO Les Moonves indicate Amazon Channels has been a huge contributor to CBS in terms of growing subscriber bases for All Access and its Showtime OTT service.
“Amazon has been absolutely amazing in terms of growing our subs. They’ve been at the top of the list and we like what they’re doing. We would say we get more with them than any of our other partners, although some of the other ones are more recently in the ballgame,” Moonves said during the company’s most recent earnings call.
The strong growth from Amazon coupled with the fact that the $5.99 option hasn’t been available on that platform until now could both be contributing factors to the strong uptake on All Access’ $9.99 tier. In May, CBS said that about one-third of its All Access subscribers are paying for the more expensive ad-free tier of the service.
Amazon Channels could be a big reason CBS recently moved its targets for over-the-top subscriber growth. The company had previously said it wanted 8 million combined subscribers for All Access and Showtime OTT by 2020, but earlier this month it said it now intends to hit that goal by 2019. The company also said it expects to have 16 million combined OTT subscribers by 2022.