VUit closes CBS carriage deal
Details
Editor
| 13 December 2022
As part of a move that it says underscores leadership in local news streaming, US free ad-supported streamer VUit has reached a carriage agreement with CBS to feature a slate of both local news and national entertainment and lifestyle content on its platforms.
VUit logo 13Dec2022
The Syncbak owned company regards the agreement with the major news and entertainment service as validation of its model and that it is the latest example of its “aggressive” expansion and continued growth.

Through the agreement, VUit will gain carriage rights to the local CBS streaming channels produced by a number of CBS-owned stations, including the top two US designated market areas (DMAs): New York and Los Angeles. Other markets include Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Sacramento and San Francisco. Through these additions, VUit now carries local news and content from more than 260 stations across the country, covering nearly 80%, 167, DMAs in the US.

In addition to the local news channels, VUit will now also carry an array of Paramount’s premium national entertainment and lifestyle content. This will include three channels: Mixible, formerly known as ET Live; Inside Edition; and Dabl, the CBS Media Ventures’ lifestyle network.

“From our continued expansion of local news streaming across the country, to becoming a fresh and intriguing model for the syndication of national content, major players in the media world recognise the power and potential of what we have built,” said Syncbak CEO Jack Perry commenting on. the deal. “In an increasingly streaming-first world, this deal is a win for everyone – for the stations looking to expand revenue opportunities, for advertisers looking to reach audiences in hyper-local and hyper-targeted ways, and for viewers who want to access content in a flexible, easy manner.”

“VUit is a product built around local news, and we are thrilled to add our 13 local streaming channels to broaden their US coverage,” added CBS Stations senior vice president, streaming Sahand Sepehrnia. “We have had a long-standing relationship with Syncbak and are excited to grow our partnership with Jack and his team.”

VUit’s deal with CBS continues a strong 2022 for the company, which has seen a string of programming expansions, including carriage agreements with stations groups such as Capitol Broadcasting Company, Lockwood Broadcast Group, Marquee Broadcasting Inc., Fort Myers Broadcasting Company, and Sunbeam Television. In June, the company also announced rapid advertising growth across the platform, including a 31% year-over-year increase in ads served between June 2021 and June 2022, a 37% average CPM increase in the first half of the year, and revenue sharing among station groups growing by 121% for the first half of 2022. For the year to date, revenue sharing is up 192%.