Filling an important gap in its TV lineup, DirecTV Now, AT&T’s OTT-TV service, has inked a carriage deal with CBS Corp.
In addition to gaining carriage of live local CBS feeds in select markets, the carriage agreement also covers The CW, Pop, CBS Sports Network and Showtime.
DirecTV Now noted that live local CBS feeds will initially be available on the OTT service in CBS owned-and-operated stations, -and that all affiliates of CBS and The CW “will have the opportunity to participate going forward as well.”
Financial terms were not announced, but CBS and DirecTV Now said all networks tied to the deal allow for live streaming, with “much of their programming available on demand as well.”
With CBS on board, DirecTV Now has deals to carry live locals from the Big Four in certain markets. Late last month, DirecTV Now announced it had secured carriage deals with broadcasters that enable it to offer 100 live local channels across the U.S., including ABC, NBC and Fox stations in the seven largest DMAs -- Chicago, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington D.C.
RELATED: DirecTV Now Carries More Than 100 Live Local TV Channels
The new deal also helps DirecTV Now keep pace with other virtual MVPDs that have scored deals with CBS, including fuboTV, Hulu and YouTube TV. Sling TV, the Dish-owned OTT TV service, currently does not have a deal with CBS, which also sells a stand-alone subscription service called CBS All Access.
RELATED: fuboTV, CBS Notch Live TV Streaming Deal
DirecTV Now added 152,000 subs in Q2, expanding its total to about 500,000.
