CBS Partners With YouTube

CBS has partnered with YouTube to bring some of it’s branded content to the website widely known for its copyright infringing content. CBS has launched a branded channel on the site. The channel, for which CBS will sell advertising and split revenues with YouTube, will feature clips from current CBS shows, archived sports footage and the online preview for its evening news.

“The CBS Brand Channel” will initially include the Late Show With David Letterman, The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson, NCIS and CSI:Miami in addition to old sports footage and CBS News First Look With Katie Couric, the daily webisodes the network has been offering on its own site preceding the evening news.

Other programming to be added at a later time includes Survivor, CSI, CSI:NY, Jericho, Numb3rs and newsclips from programs such as the Evening News, The Early Show and 48 Hours. Additionally, sports video from CBS-owned college sports network CSTV and clips from CBS-owned cable network Showtime will be available.

CBS’ YouTube channel is significant in that networks are still debating whether to embrace the site or consider it a foe. NBC initially scorned YouTube for posting a clip of Saturday Night Live, but partnered with the site over the summer to launch a branded channel of its own.

YouTube has managed to escape copyright infringement lawsuits by pulling network content posted without consent upon request. As part of the CBS / YouTube deal, if CBS allows user-posted network content to remain on the site, YouTube can sell advertising on it, with the revenues to be split with CBS.

To read more, head over to Broadcasting Cable.

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