CBS News’ streaming news service CBSN has been available around the world via a web browser for a while now, but the network is making it even easier for viewers to tune in across devices by rolling out its CBSN app in more than 80 countries.
The effort was announced in a statement published Tuesday after first being reported by the business website Axios.
“Our research shows that there is global demand for CBS News reporting on issues and events that impact everyone,” Christy Tanner, a CBS News executive, said in a statement. “With CBSN’s expanded availability in international app stores we can now deliver vital, in-depth coverage on urgent and pivotal news events to more viewers in more places.”
CBS says it will make CBSN apps available in regional stores in dozens of countries, including Argentina, China, France, Hong Kong, Mexico, the Philippines, South Korea and the United Kingdom.
The free service will be accessible in those countries and others on an expanding platform of devices, including native applications for certain smart TVs made by LG and Vizio as well as Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Google Chromecast and Apple TV hardware. The app is also available for smartphones and tablets.
CBS executives said the move fit with the company’s overall mission for digital news and correlates with data that shows some of the most-watched segments on CBSN within the United States are news stories that have a global connection.
The service launched as an ad-supported stream on the CBS News website in 2014 and has reached distribution deals with third-party applications, including Pluto TV (which was acquired by Viacom in 2019 prior to its merger with CBS) and Comcast-owned Xumo.
Last August, CBS announced it would create localized spinoffs of its CBSN service in metropolitan areas where it owns and operates the CBS network affiliate. Since then, nearly a dozen CBSN local stations have launched, including variants in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Pittsburg , San Francisco and Minneapolis-St. Paul.
A local variant of CBSN for Northern California called CBSN Sacramento is expected to launch early next month.
—
Got a tip? Get in touch.
