Marc DeBevoise, ViacomCBS’ Chief Digital Officer-CEO CBS Interactive, told an audience during Variety‘s Entertainment Summit at CES 2020 in Las Vegas that CBS All Access is growing. He estimates the company will hit its 25-million subscription target for CBS All Access and Showtime’s streaming app by the end of 2022.
Company research suggests “there are about 200 million subscribers up for grabs over the next three to five years, with about 180 million in the marketplace today,” DeBevoise said.
He claims ViacomCBS outpaces its media rivals in digital content.
“We’re the largest pure content play on the internet,” DeBevoise said. “We have a tremendous opportunity to grow our digital business across the portfolio.”
The streamer is hoping “Star Trek” and “Star Trek: Picard,” which launches Jan. 23, will keep viewers hooked.
CBS All Access video on-demand and live streaming service will also be part of Comcast’s Xfinity X1 and Flex platforms later this year. The renewal agreement gives retransmission options to 23 CBS-owned TV stations in 15 major U.S. markets, including The CW affiliates. It also includes distribution of Showtime, Smithsonian Channel, Pop TV and CBS Sports Network to Xfinity customers.
“The one place we hadn’t been able to place the service yet was the set-top box,” DeBevoise said. He hopes the Comcast pact is the first of many MVPD (multichannel video) deals.