CBS Reaches New Agreement with Verizon

NEW YORK: CBS Corporation and Verizon Communications have agreed to a new three-year deal that includes retransmission consent for CBS-owned stations on Verizon FiOS TV.

CBS-owned stations in various Verizon markets, including New York, Los Angeles and Dallas—where the group is currently in a blackout with Time Warner Cable—will continue to be distributed to FiOS TV subscribers. The pact also sees the CBS Sports Network increase its distribution with FiOS. Separately, CBS and Verizon have an existing agreement for FiOS to carry Showtime Networks and Smithsonian that will continue as well.

"We are very pleased to reach this agreement with Verizon and its FIOS service," said Ray Hopkins, the president of television networks distribution at CBS Corporation. "This deal was reached in a short period of time, and CBS has once again achieved fair value for our over-the-air rights. Verizon is a distribution partner of growing importance to us that provides excellent service to its expanding number of subscribers, and we are glad that this partnership will continue and grow."

"We’ve reached this agreement in partnership with CBS for our customers, so that they may continue to enjoy CBS content on FiOS," added Terry Denson, the VP of video content and strategy at Verizon. "Verizon continues to address areas of change where necessary in current policies to better reflect the interests of consumers."