Despite billionaire Mark Cuban’s dire predictions of massive lawsuits for web giant YouTube, the popular video sharing network site has been a huge boon for CBS. Considering the continuing plunge in the eye’s ratings even after the much-touted Katie Couric addition to the CBS Evening News team, it couldn’t have come at a better time.
Close to a month ago CBS launched Brand Channel in a partnership with YouTube to showcase clips from its news, sports and entertainment programs. While those clips help boost the network’s advertising bottom line, they are also helping to haul in new fans as well. CBS reports ‘NCIS,’ ‘Late Show With David Letterman’ and ‘The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson’ as three of the top 25 most watched vids this month alone.
Says Quincy Smith according to TV.com, president of CBS Interactive, "Professional content seeds YouTube and allows an open dialogue between established media players and a new set of viewers." Open dialogue is nice, but talk is cheap, especially in showbiz. Smith is no doubt really titillated about the 7% increase in ratings for CBS’s late-night programming, including ‘Letterman’ and ‘Ferguson,’ YouTube has garnered over the past 30 days. Hmmm…I notice YouTube doesn’t seem to be helping you Mrs. Couric. Might be a good idea to get your retirement portfolio in order.
To check out CBS’s smorgasbord of programming, type in “CBS” in the YouTube search bar, or just click here.
