CBS Television Stations and CBS Interactive have launched a new streaming news service, providing content from its two New York area television stations -- CBS 2 and WLNY 10/55.
Called CBSN New York, the service is the first of the network’s planned direct-to-consumer offerings that will stream anchored news coverage and live breaking news events from major markets served by CBS’s owned and operated stations.
CBSN New York is now available through CBSN on CBSNews.com and, beginning tonight (Dec. 13), on the CBS News apps for mobile and connected TV devices. In addition, the service is now available through CBSNewYork.com and the CBS Local mobile app.
CBSN launched in November 2014, and according to the broadcaster has seen its average monthly viewers grow nearly 30% this year. Nearly 80% of CBSN’s viewers are between the ages of 18 and 49 with an average age of 38.
CBS Television Stations and CBS Interactive will continue the rollout of CBSN Local services with the launch of CBS Los Angeles in early 2019, followed by other major markets where CBS owns local television stations.
CBS owns 28 local stations -- 15 CBS affiliates, 8 The CW affiliates and 3 independent stations -- in large markets including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, San Francisco and Seattle. The CBSN streaming service will be ad supported and will complement CBS’ other streaming services, CBSN, CBS Sports HQ and ET Live. Ultimately the service will also be included as live channels in the broadcaster’s pioneering streaming offering, CBS All Access, in their respective markets.
“The launch of CBSN New York represents the beginning of an exciting new era for our local media business,” said CBS Television Stations president Peter Dunn in a statement. “We are thrilled to be able to provide our premium local news content on all of the most popular platforms and open the door to multiple revenue streams. CBSN New York and the other streaming local news services launching in 2019 will be a perfect companion to the award-winning national and global news reporting provided by CBSN.”
CBSN New York features live streams of WCBS and WLNY’s regularly scheduled newscasts and additional weekday one-hour newscasts at 7 a.m, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m that will be produced exclusively for CBSN New York. In addition, CBSN New York will provide live continuous coverage of breaking news events and an extensive library of local news content that will be available for on-demand viewing.
“CBSN viewers have told us they want more local content, and we know there will be a tremendous appetite for the high-quality, live-streaming local coverage from our stations around the country,” said EVP and general manager CBS News Digital Christy Tanner in a statement.
