Aug. 25--Cablevision is keeping an eye on cable cord cutters in its new carriage deal with CBS.
In a new multi-year agreement announced Tuesday, the Bethpage, N.Y., company will offer CBS' standalone video streaming services for its premium cable channel Showtime and its broadcast network (CBS All Access). Pricing and the launch dates for the services, to be made available to Cablevision's Optimum Online customers, will be announced later, the companies said.
Cablevision is the first cable or satellite provider to market CBS' streaming services aimed at the growing number of consumers who do not want to buy extensive packages of cable channels. Before this deal, the CBS services have been available through online apps and streaming media players such as Roku and AppleTV.
Cablevision has been among the more aggressive video providers when it comes to pursuing consumers who are shunning traditional cable subscriptions and getting their TV content over broadband Internet.
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The Cablevision agreement also covers continued carriage of CBS-owned and -operated TV stations and its cable channels, Showtime, Smithsonian Channel and CBS Sports Network.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Cablevision serves more than 3 million customers in the New York market area.
