, will be a “powerful DTC ecosystem, which will allow us to serve consumers at different price points.”Joe Ianniello
“Just think about adding content from Nickelodeon, BET, MTV, Comedy Central to CBS All Access, and Paramount movies to Showtime,” said Ianniello, who will become CBS’ chairman-CEO after the transaction, of the two SVODs. “And also imagine our [ad-supported video on demand] properties like CBS Sports HQ and ET Live being added to Pluto [TV]. Plus, all of this will increasingly be done on a global basis.
When asked by an analyst whether they are re-considering the price of CBS All Access, which currently ranges from $6 to $10 a month, Ianniello sidestepped the question, saying that they will take a “slow and steady” approach as they grow subscriptions. On the affiliate front, “CBS and Viacom together will have a 22% share of TV viewership, yet right now, we only receive 11% of the industry’s affiliate fees that are paid to content providers,” said Ianniello. “This means the combined company will have tremendous upside in affiliate revenue.”
I see them being gobbled up by a bigger fish. They’re 1/4 the size of netflix after today’s merger announcement. And, Netflix is the fourth largest of the media companies behind Att/Warner, Disney and Comcast. It’s inevitable.
It’ll be 4th best, at best.