Google has reached an agreement with CBS to include their content in a new “skinny bundle” service set to launch in 2017. One source said the deal would include all of CBS’s content, including football. Executives that heard the pitch reports that Google plans to offer the service for between $25 and $45 a month. Although execs from Youtube are overseeing the project, “Unplugged” will not be included with Youtube Red and instead will be a separate service.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Google is also rumored to be working with Disney and almost have a deal with Fox. One sticking point in negotiations has been a stipulation that Youtube can add a data overlay (like a stock ticker or sports scores) to the stream.
If Fox arrives at a similar deal to CBS, Fox could also bring Fox News, Fox Sports, FX, and National Geographic to Google Unplugged. Fox is not new with online distribution deals. On July 25th Netflix announced an exclusive license for FX’s American Crime Story.
As more people are cutting cable costs and consuming their TV shows via streaming, Google may have a lot of people eager to sign up. A study shows that “Almost four in ten homes with an 18- to 34-year-old resident rely on broadcast-only or Internet-only alternatives”
