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CBSN finds mobile drives 26pc of live streaming news views

Since its launch in November, CBS News? live-streaming video news channel CBSN is driving omnichannel engagement, with 26 percent of viewers consuming content from mobile devices. 

Viewers are fairly evenly divided between mobile, TV and desktop. The fact that CBS News already has a high mobile presence in its early stages shows that consumers are willing and ready for mobile experiences. 

?CBSN is available on mobile devices,? a CBS News spokesperson said. ?We launched it across several platforms for as wide a reach as possible, including Web, mobile Web, connected TV devices and our mobile apps. 

?It's currently available on the brand new CBS News app for iOS, as well as the CBS News app for Windows 8.1. It will also be rolled out on Android soon.?

Easy access
On the Roku platform, CBS News is the top-ranked news channel following the launch of CBSN, ranking number one among news channels in hours streamed in both November and December 2014, according to the news corporation.

CBSN also claims to be the first live anchored news network across all leading digital platforms and will be rolled out on additional devices throughout 2015. Currently, it is drawing in its most engaged users and majority of streams on connected TVs.


Thirty-eight percent of viewers are on desktop, 36 percent are on connected TVs and 26 percent are on mobile phones and tablets. Fifty-two percent of streams are on connected TVs, 30 percent are on desktops and 17 percent are on mobile. 

Among returning connected TV users, 88 percent watch multiple times per week.

User engagement is highest on the Roku platform, where the average viewer watches CBSN for more than two hours per week.

Across platforms, viewers are coming to CBSN for live coverage, and especially for major breaking news stories, showing consumers want live news on digital platforms.

Users are watching live over DVR/on-demand programming by a ratio of three to one.

Top stories in terms of viewership have included the grand jury decision in Ferguson, MO, the disappearance of AirAsia Flight 8501, the Sydney hostage situation and shooting, the attack on Charlie Hebdo in Paris and developing U.S.-Cuba relations.


Streams tripled during the extended coverage of the grand jury decision in Ferguson, MO.

CBSN is currently available on CBSNews.com and its mobile Web site, connected TV devices, such as Roku players and Roku TV models, and the CBS News apps for iOS and Windows 8.1.

Predetermined expectations
Upon its initial launch, it was believed that CBSN would challenge marketers to determine how best to leverage a broad range of custom ad integrations to reach highly engaged mobile consumers who have considerable power to customize their news preferences.

Offering much exclusive content but also drawing from CBS platforms, the 24/7 ad-supported channel offers an original newscast 15 hours each weekday from 9 a.m. to midnight, with its own lineup of anchors. With Amazon and Microsoft initially on board as major advertisers, the channel demanded that marketers determine how best to engage the Internet-connected consumer via smartphone, tablet, connected TV or other devices (see story). 

Also, CBS? direct-to-consumer, streaming service All Access point to how mobile is accelerating over-the-top access and opening up the potential for new brand experiences. 

Being that fewer households are paying for cable television and more consumers are watching videos on their mobile devices, this service could propose a challenge for other aggregated, branded services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime. No matter which device consumers are watching videos, their priority is good content (see story). 

?CBSN is meant to be a cross-platform network, and mobile is obviously a key platform,? the spokesperson said. ?We're seeing meaningful viewership across mobile, online and connected TV platforms so far.?

Final Take
Caitlyn Bohannon is an editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York