CBS has launched CBSN Boston — an extension to their free ad-supported CBSN streaming service. CBSN Boston will add anchored news coverage and live breaking news events from the Boston market. The streaming channel will feature live streams of WBZ daily newscasts, as well as exclusive newscasts at 7:00 AM and 1:00 PM. CBSN Boston will also include an 8:00 PM newscast that will be simulcast by WBZ-TV’s sister station WSBK-TV (TV38).
“The early success of CBSN New York and CBSN Los Angeles continues to exceed our expectations,” said Peter Dunn, President, CBS Television Stations. “We are excited to meet the rising demand for our high-quality local news content on streaming services by launching CBSN Boston today, with the San Francisco Bay Area coming next and the rest of our markets debuting by early next year, ahead of the 2020 political primaries and elections.”
On their Second Quarter Earnings Call in August, CBS disclosed that CBSN was average over a million streams per day across their various properties. In addition to San Francisco, CBSN is expected to also come to Chicago (WBBM-TV), Dallas-Ft. Worth (KTVT-TV), Philadelphia (KYW and WPSG-TV), Minneapolis-St. Paul (WCCO-TV), Denver (KCNC-TV), Miami (WFOR-TV), Sacramento (KOVR and KMAX-TV), Pittsburgh (KDKA and WPCW-TV) and Baltimore (WJZ-TV).
CBSN which first started streaming in November 2014 is a 24/7 streaming news service from CBS News and CBS Interactive that delivers live national and global news coverage. CBSN launched local streaming in New York last December and Los Angeles in June, and expected to launch in San Francisco next. The focus has been markets where CBS has owned-and-operated affiliates.
CBS has been aggressive in trying to reach cord cutters on new platforms. Besides CBSN, the company has also launched CBS Sports HQ for sports fan and ET Live for entertainment junkies. The company also has CBS All Access — which brings live access to your local CBS affiliate, original shows, and on demand access to CBS primetime programming.