CBS this morning launched its OTT service devoted to sports news, seven months after it first detailed such plans. Dubbed CBS Sports HQ, the 24-hour service is available at no cost to people via connected devices or mobile services. CBS modeled the service after its OTT news service, which launched in November ’14 and logged 287 million streams last year, up 17% from '16. “CBS has had a clear and effective strategy for over-the-top programming,” CBS Sports Chair Sean McManus told THE DAILY, referencing CBS All Access, CBSN and Showtime’s streaming service. “This is a continuation of what already has been successful for CBS.”
CBS Sports HQ will feature news, highlights and analysis. The service, which is set up as a co-production between CBS Sports and CBS Interactive, has hired on-air talent that will be dedicated to the OTT service exclusively. But CBS said the new service also will use some current CBS Sports announcers and reporters. The net stressed that all coverage will be complementary to CBS Sports and CBS Sports Network, meaning that it will not simulcast any of those shows, at least not initially.
The service will have the look and feel of a CBS Sports channel, with similar looking graphics and logos. It has a different strategy from other OTT sports offerings, like the upcoming ESPN+, because it will not carry events. McManus said it also will focus more on news and analysis and less on opinion. McManus: “CBS Sports HQ will not be an event-oriented product. We feel like the market and appetite is ready for a direct-to-consumer service that is just news, highlights and analysis." CBS Sports HQ will be available on the CBS Sports app, which is on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Roku. It also is available via iOS and Android.
