In 2014 CBS launched a 24/7 streaming news service, CBSN. Following the successful model of CBSN, which generated 287 million streams in 2017, CBS Sports has added its own 24-hour sports streaming service,
CBS Sports HQ this week.
Like CBSN, CBS Sports HQ is available to consumers for free via online connected devices, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Roku. No cable subscription will be necessary to access the 24/7 sports network which will offer coverage of news and highlights.
“CBS SPORTS HQ is for fans who want more coverage of the game. Sports fans can now get the news and highlights they want in a true, round-the-clock sportscast on any device, where and when they want,” said Jim Lanzone, CEO, CBS Interactive and Chief Digital Officer, CBS Corporation. “As with CBSN, which continues to attract a growing audience of digital consumers, we also think there’s a tremendous advantage in being first to market with this type of service in a crown jewel category.”
The network will utilize CBS Sports, CBSSports.com, 247Sports, SportsLine, CBS Sports Fantasy and MaxPreps to provide live news, game previews, post-game reports, highlights, stats and analysis.
The ability to stream quality 24-hour sports coverage for free with no cable subscription will attract a younger demographic that watches programming online. Paid for through advertising, CBS Sports HQ will include DVR functionality allowing the viewer to jump segments.
ESPN is expected to launch their streaming platform in late March or early April, Disney CEO Bob Iger spoke of the ESPN Plus OTT service at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference as reported by Deadline’s Dade Hayes.
Unlike the new CBS Sports platform, ESPN Plus will not be free, but it will offer live sports content. At $4.99 per month, Iger said “I imagine you’ll see that price rise for the augmented service.” ESPN Plus will sell out-of-market packages for Major League Baseball and the NHL.
Although neither the CBS Sports service, nor ESPN Plus is designed to threaten TV viewership, Iger sees the future of sports consumption in the ESPN Plus service, stating “Over time, our intention would be for that app to be the app that people experience ESPN on.”
Brandon Contes is a freelance writer for BSM. He can be found on Twitter @BrandonContes. To reach him by email click here.