Viacom and CBS Reunited … And It Feels So Smart (TV Driven)

Some pundits debated whether amp8212 when all the conditions pass stockholder and regulatory muster amp8212 ViacomCBS will have what it takes to be an equal among the likes of Amazon Apple ComcastNBCUniversal Netflix Walt Disney or WarnerMediaLost in all this speculative frenzy was one major rationale driving Viacom and CBS to hook up again at long last that I39ve deduced from developments I39ve tracked the American public bringing smart television sets and TVconnected devices into the mainstream of their daily lives According to the latest data from Nielsen and other media research institutions more than 75 percent of all US households possess a smart set or device Amazon Fire TV Apple TV Chromecast Roku etc and watch upwards of 10 billion hours of programming and use applications via these possessions each monthNotice what CBS and Viacom officials pointed out immediately in the second paragraph of the press release about the deal quotThe combined company will possess a portfolio of fastgrowing directtoconsumer platforms including both subscription and adsupported offeringsquot Instead of highlighting all the broadcast cable and multicast networks soon to be under their combined control CBS and Viacom touted their buildup of programming services from CBS All Access to Viacom39s Pluto TV amp8212 all distributed directly to viewers primarily or exclusively through smart TV sets and devicesNot so further into that press release CBS and Viacom jointly declared that as far as growth scenarios are concerned postreunion the top priority is accelerating that direction In fact no need to wait until the deal is complete before this pedal hits the metal CBS is set to launch ET Live a fulltime entertainment news and event coverage channel formatted after Entertainment Tonight and additional local news derivatives of CBSN coming off the rollout of such individual channels earlier this year in New York and Los Angeles At Viacom BET is a few months away from kicking off it will feature new scripted and unscripted series from Will Packer Tyler Perry Tracy Oliver and other top content makersOnce this deal is done expect all sorts of content combinations from various CBS and Viacom units to diversify the smart TV ventures already operating All the better to pick up more customers paying for the subscriptionmodeled services such as CBS All Access and draw both viewers and sponsor dollars for the adsupported ones Keep in mind that smart TV sets and devices amp8212 and services distributed through them amp8212 are projected to finish 2019 with 12 billion to 14 billion in advertising revenues then take in 20 billion to 24 billion during 2020Viacom39s Comedy Central MTV and Nickelodeon for example could bring their respective content libraries to CBS All Access create new content strictly for All Access customers or go multiplatform with All Access followed by videoondemand and basic cable presentations Nickelodeon could be the first channel showcased on All Access given that venture39s decision earlier this month to carry original and acquired kidvid content before the end of 2019 One of the originals will be Danger Mouse a remake of the Britishmade secret agent satire that became a top Nickelodeon attraction during the 1980sCompanies other than CBS and Viacom could benefit from the merger in the short term Take Charter Communications39 free ondemand venture Spectrum Originals whose first move in firstrun scripted series this spring LA39s Finest did well enough to be renewed for 2020 Viacom has a coproductionprogram development deal with Spectrum Originals with production underway on Paradise Lost a Southern gothicstyle mystery with Paramount Network having the postVOD release With Viacom and CBS together Spectrum Originals could pull incremental subscription or ad revenues from plays on CBS All Access Pluto TV or elsewhere Could other Spectrum Originals such as LA39s Finest or the upcoming Mad About You reboot find their own way to future ViacomCBS platforms It39s not out of the questionLet others sound off about how long it will be before ViacomCBS grabs another top content source for growth For now how and how soon this combination obtains a deeper role in the transforming universe of smart TV sets and devices is enough to ponderClick the social buttons to share this story with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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Viacom and CBS Reunited … And It Feels So Smart (TV Driven)

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Simon Applebaum

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Viacom and CBS Reunited … And It Feels So Smart (TV Driven)

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