CBS Interactive, Yahoo! in New Online Distribution Agreement

NEW YORK, June 4: Yahoo!
has agreed to host and stream entertainment content from CBS to its consumers
on a free, ad-supported basis.

As part of the deal
between CBS Interactive and the Internet search engine giant, Yahoo! TV will
gain access to CBS’s extensive online catalogue of entertainment content, which
offers up more full episodes and hours of network programming than any other
broadcast television network. The CBS content will be added to Yahoo!’s
programming lineup, which also includes content from NBC, FOX and more than 15
cable networks.

This agreement is an
expansion of the current relationship between Yahoo! and CBS; Yahoo! News
currently showcases CBS’s 60 Minutes brand with specially produced segments and content. The CBS Stations
Group also provides local news and sports videos to Yahoo! from 16 CBS-owned
stations.

With the addition of
Yahoo! as a distribution partner, CBS expands the total online reach of the CBS
Audience Network to 92 percent of the U.S. web audience.

The more than 300 active
video sites currently making up the CBS Audience Network include distribution
partners such as AOL, Microsoft, CNET Networks, Fancast, Joost, Bebo, Adobe,
Netvibes, Sling Media and Veoh and social application partners like Automattic,
Brightcove, Clearspring, DAVE Networks, Goowy Media, meebo, MeeVee, Musestorm,
Ning, RockYou!, Slide, VideoEgg, Voxant and vSocial, as well as websites from
CBS's owned television, radio and affiliated stations. The slate of CBS
entertainment, news and sports content available includes a roster of full
episodes, clips and highlights based on CBS and Showtime programming, as well
as original made-for-the-web content from EyeLab, a programming unit that
produces and distributes short-form video to the CBS Audience Network.

"This announcement
underscores the value of CBS’s open, non-exclusive, multi-partnership strategy
for distributing our content online," said Anthony Soohoo, the senior VP
and general manager of entertainment at CBS Interactive. "We are delighted
to add Yahoo! to the Audience Network, not only because of their reach, but
also because they offer a great user experience for CBS content. This is a
win-win in that it bolsters the distribution of CBS content while giving Yahoo!
users access to programming that has proven to be among the most popular
professional content online."

"As the number one
online TV site, Yahoo! TV is committed to offering our users the most
comprehensive television experience on the Internet," added Karin Gilford,
the VP of entertainment and lifestyles at Yahoo!. "The partnership with
CBS significantly expands our video offerings and provides our users with a
consistent and best-in-class viewing experience. It’s all part of our strategy
to become the starting point for the most consumers on the web."

—By Irene Lew