Since it launched in November 2014, CBS News’s 24/7 ad-supported national and global streaming news service CBSN has put up solid numbers and delivers a younger audience than typically tunes into the news.
According to the CBSN data from December 2017, 79 percent of CBSN viewers are in the 18-49 demo, with an average age of 38. The average CNN, Fox News and MSNBC viewer across the 24-hour-day is in their 60s.
CBS is trying to transfer that magic to the local level, and announced today that it plans to launch CBSN Local, a portfolio of 24/7 direct-to-consumer services that will stream anchored news coverage and live breaking news events from major markets that are served by CBS stations.
“These streaming local news services will be a terrific companion to the award-winning national and global news reporting provided by CBSN,” CBS Television Stations president Peter Dunn said in a statement.
CBSN Local will first launch in the NYC market in partnership with WCBS–the network’s flagship local station–in Q4. The rollout will continue in LA, with KCBS and KCAL launching its service, followed by other major markets.
CBSN Local will be available through CBSN on CBSNews.com and the CBS News apps for mobile and connected TV, and through CBS Television Stations’ websites and mobile apps.
“Working together, we look forward to making the outstanding local news coverage produced by our stations available to a wider audience, anytime and anywhere people want to view it,” continued Dunn.
“CBSN’s tremendous success in attracting a growing and engaged audience of viewers across all platforms paved the way for us to bring our direct-to-consumer strategy to local markets,” Jim Lanzone, CEO, CBS Interactive and chief digital officer, CBS Corp., said in a statement. “The addition of CBSN Local services delivering high-quality coverage from our stations around the country will bring a new level of depth to CBSN’s 24/7 original reporting.”
Each CBSN Local service will feature live streams of CBS Television Stations’ regularly scheduled early morning, daytime and evening newscasts and additional daily newscasts that will be produced exclusively for CBSN Local. The services will provide live continuous coverage of breaking news events and a library of content that will be available for on-demand viewing.
CBSN Local programming will be led by anchors and reporters at local CBS stations.
As is the case with CBSN, CBSN Local will be ad-supported networks across all platforms. They will complement CBS’ other streaming services, CBSN and the company’s new 24/7 streaming sports news service CBS Sports HQ, and will ultimately be included as live channels in CBS All Access in their markets.